IF MARIE HAD LIVED… and Ben had died… (May – September 2006)<\/p>\n
Rating:\u00a0 T (225,640 words)<\/p>\n
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If Marie Had Lived<\/strong><\/p>\n Joseph Cartwright scowled slightly, and then, having turned his back upon the woman seated in the big red leather chair, he surveyed his brothers, \u201cWell? Haven’t either of you anything to say?”<\/p>\n Adam Cartwright sighed and pursed his lips, while his black brows arched over his dark eyes, he turned to his brother, Hoss, who hemmed and hawed a little before standing up, “Thing is, Ma, have you really thought this through? I mean, I know the guy’s good looking an’ all, but, dang it, you’ve only known him a few weeks.”<\/p>\n “I didn’t know your father very long either, Hoss, but I knew I loved him.” Marie Cartwright smiled and reached out an elegant hand towards the glass of wine which stood on the table close to the chair.<\/p>\n “But,” Adam sat down upon the arm of the long settee, and looked at his step-mother thoughtfully, “Pa was rather different from David Carter.”<\/p>\n “True enough.” Marie nodded slowly, and sipped the wine while a furrow creased her brow. She had anticipated some opposition to this news, and had worked out, in her mind, exactly what she was going to say. She had arranged for Hop Sing to cook all of Hoss’ favourite things, had provided the best wine for Adam, and been particularly loving and sweet towards Joe. Now the hard work was beginning, trying to convince these three young men that David Carter was a suitable husband for her.<\/p>\n Of course no one could ever compare with Ben. How could they possibly compare with a man who had everything a woman looked for, hoped for, in a husband? She had been spoilt in her choice of a husband, she knew that, and she also knew that no man could ever be as handsome, nor as charming, nor … well, no man could match Ben.<\/p>\n But she had been a widow now for twelve years and she wanted to be loved again. Not as a mother, not as a respected member of the community, but as a woman. How could she explain that to these three men who had been her lifeline since Ben’s death?<\/p>\n Dearest, sweetest Joe. She had loved and protected him fiercely during his childhood and now he was a man. A handsome man and as charming as his father. Fickle in love too. Oh how the girls loved him. She smiled as she looked at him, and could see his face softening as he caught her glance. Had she been any young woman in town she would have angled to catch him for a husband too.<\/p>\n Adam … well, he had always been stubborn as a mule, and as proud as his father of this Ponderosa of theirs. She knew that without him by her side the whole thing would have collapsed around their ears. There had been years, after Ben had died, when there had been practically open war between the Ponderosa and the cattle barons, the silver mine owners, in town. The Ponderosa had been attacked, men had been ambushed, shot, paid off, the woodland had been set fire to, the cattle stampeded, water holes poisoned…and yet Adam had been the rock that had withstood it all.<\/p>\n Handsome too, with those dark eyes and that black hair. But he was single minded, just like Ben, and to him the Ponderosa and his brothers came first. Now she thought, he would most likely feel she was betraying them all, even Ben, after all this time.<\/p>\n Hoss had been her constant friend and companion, easy to talk to, quick to understand. Surely he would see how much she needed someone again in her life? Hoss, with his big heart, would understand that she needed to be loved again?<\/p>\n “David’s a good man, he’s honest and generous and kind.” she smiled at them all in turn, to give weight to her words.<\/p>\n “He’s a Banker.” Hoss said thoughtfully.<\/p>\n “That’s not his fault, ” Adam said with a smirk, and they laughed, but not with mirth.<\/p>\n “He doesn’t know anything about running a ranch, especially the Ponderosa.” Joe remarked, looking at his mother uneasily, “Ma, are you sure you ain’t just being swept off your feet by this guy?”<\/p>\n “Yeah, he’s a bit of a dude, ain’t he? Could be you ain’t thinkin’ straight ‘cos of his looks.” Hoss muttered.<\/p>\n “Do I look that empty headed?” Marie snapped, “I’m not a silly child looking to some man for vanity’s sake.”<\/p>\n “Then what are you looking for?” Joe asked anxiously.<\/p>\n “I’m -,” Marie paused and then looked away, and stared at the fire. What was she looking for? Love, wasn’t it?<\/p>\n “I know it hasn’t been easy,” Adam said in that drawl of his, one he would use whenever he was trying to placate or reason with her, “and I know it has been twelve years now since Pa was killed in that ambush, but…”<\/p>\n “But?” Marie said acidly.<\/p>\n “Pa gave his life to building up the Ponderosa, to making it what it is today. He fought to provide for us, and we’ve had to fight too. Over the years we’ve lost men, been wounded, been a hairs breadth from losing the Ponderosa, but we’ve managed to win through. Pa’s driving force, his strength, his ambition …call it what you will … has kept us together, united, Cartwrights and the Ponderosa. But, that will all end if you marry David Carter.”<\/p>\n She looked at him closely, her green eyes blazed into his brown ones. He doesn’t understand, she told herself, he doesn’t understand how much I miss Ben, how much I miss a man holding me in his arms and telling me he loves me. Adam can’t see beyond the Ponderosa.<\/p>\n “Ma?” Joe chipped in now, “What do you see in this guy anyway? He’s a banker, and he’s only been in Virginia City for a year. What exactly do you know about him?”<\/p>\n “I know everything I need to, thank you, Joseph.” she snapped, and turned away, it annoyed her more than anything the way Joe could be so obstinate, and why did he always have to put his feet up on the table? “Take your feet off the table, Joseph.”<\/p>\n “Yes, Ma, sorry.”<\/p>\n “Ma, if you feel sure you love him, and he loves you, you’ve got my backing, you know that, don’t’cha?” Hoss smiled at her, his blue eyes softening, “Of course, it won’t be like Pa being here but …” he sighed, and glanced up to the big portrait of Ben that hung above the hearth.<\/p>\n “He won’t have any controlling power over the Ponderosa, you know that, don’t you?” Adam’s voice was sharp, “If he starts trying to interfere …”<\/p>\n “He won’t. I won’t let him.” Marie said quickly.<\/p>\n They were silent then. Each one of them glanced quickly at the face of Ben Cartwright, and remembered the man they loved. Missed him all over again. Wished, oh wished so much, that it had been different … that it had been anyone other than him.<\/p>\n Chapter 2<\/p>\n Marie Cartwright could hear the sounds of \u2018the boys\u2019 as they settled down to sleep in their respective rooms. How many years now had she stayed downstairs by the dying fire, with a glass of wine in one hand and a book in the other, and listened to those now so familiar sounds.<\/p>\n Looking up at the portrait of her husband, she recalled the nights after his death. Her loneliness and personal heart ache had been set to one side as she dealt with the problems of her little boy.<\/p>\n Five year old Joseph Francis had been distraught at the loss of his father and night times had been a continuing nightmare for them all. Night terrors befell him, wild tormenting dreams, bed wetting, sleep walking \u2026 she recalled it all vividly now and shuddered. Night after night she would sit with him in her arms and rock him back to sleep as he moaned and cried for Ben. By the time his grief had finally worked its way through his system she discovered that all she had been left with was a rock in her chest, a solid rock of sadness, loneliness and misery.<\/p>\n Over the years she watched her little boy mature and grow into a fine man. Rash and hot headed though he was, he was loving and charming, kind and generous. In her eyes he was how she imagined her Ben could well have been when he had been Joe\u2019s age. Now as she listened to the sounds of his footsteps overhead, the sound of the bed creaking, she could smile wistfully, and hope that he would continue to grow into the kind of man that would have made his father\u2019s heart glad.<\/p>\n A door closed with a sharp bang, and firm footsteps came as an echo to Joe\u2019s. She lowered her head with a sigh. Adam.<\/p>\n The evening before Ben had died they had talked about Adam. She had sat beside Ben with her head on his shoulder and his arm around her, and they had made plans for this youth. Intelligent, literate, clear minded, Adam Cartwright was not destined to be just another rancher\u2019s son, he was going to go to college. Oh yes, that had been the plan. They had been as excited as children as they had worked out a scheme to pay for Adam\u2019s education at one of the colleges back East. She could remember the look of pride on her husband\u2019s face as they decided on what college it would be, and at what age Adam could leave home to attend there.<\/p>\n Then, the next day, Adam had ridden into the yard with Buck on a leading rein and his father\u2019s body across the saddle. There had never been time or thought since about a college education. Adam had never mentioned it, had never indicated a desire for it, and she had never bothered to tell him about Ben\u2019s grand plans for his first born son.<\/p>\n She stood up now and reached out a hand to gently touch the outlines of the face in the picture.<\/p>\n \u201cOh Ben, Ben \u2026\u201d she whispered, \u201cI\u2019ve missed you so much.\u201d<\/p>\n Time rolled by as she looked at the picture\u2026time took her back to that morning. She saw everything so clearly . Hop Sing drawing water from the well. Joseph was chasing a chicken, laughing his high pitched little boy\u2019s gurgle of a laugh, and Hoss had been grooming his horse.<\/p>\n \u201cPa\u2019s home, \u201c Hoss had announced as the sound of hoof beats were heard, and they had looked towards where they would come, Ben and Adam.<\/p>\n Her heart had flipped as usual, and she had put down the watering can and turned to run towards him. But when the two horses entered the yard they had stood there as though frozen into ice statues. She could remember her heart freezing over, and no sound, nothing, from anyone, just the hoof beats coming towards them.<\/p>\n Hop Sing had moved first and had caught Joe up in his arms and ran into the house with the child, who, in bewilderment had called out for his Ma. Hoss had stood there, unable to move. She remembered walking to him, no, not walking, staggering, and leaning against him, and feeling his hand groping for hers and holding it tightly. The pain of that clenched hand had kept her from losing her sense and screaming out loud.<\/p>\n Then Adam had almost fallen from the saddle and turned towards them.<\/p>\n Marie shuddered again. She could never, would never, forget the terrible look of anguish, dismay, disbelief, on the young man\u2019s face. Fear as well, she remembered that, in his dark eyes, there had been intense fear. And no one wanted to move. No one wanted to go near Ben and see for themselves what they knew was true.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat happened?\u201d and still Hoss was squeezing her hand too tightly, \u201cWhat happened to your father?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAmbush. Down by Goose Creek. Some men shot at us, Pa blocked the path so that \u2026\u201d the young man\u2019s face had crumpled, and he had put his hand to his face to smother the sob that had welled up from the pit of his stomach.<\/p>\n Now she turned away from the picture. She poured herself another glass of wine. There was no point in going through it all over again. She knew that beyond that moment, when Adam had crumpled up, everything blurred and she could remember nothing.<\/p>\n She recognised now the sounds of Hoss getting into bed. Very soon she would hear the first snores as the healthy strong young body slipped into sleep. Dear Hoss, gentle Hoss. He had held her hand throughout the funeral, and said nothing. He had sat with her in the evenings, those first lonely evenings, reached out for her hand, and said no word. He had just got on with living. But she had heard him weeping, sometimes in the stable when currying the horses, or in his room, weeping for the father he loved and had lost.<\/p>\n They had all pulled together to help Joe. Loved him, protected him, perhaps pampered him too much. It had done him no harm. He had grown, and so had they, because that was what life was all about. You just have to get on and live it, just differently, that\u2019s all.<\/p>\n ********<\/p>\n \u201cSo what do you think about it, Adam?\u201d Hoss said quietly, as they rode together towards town. \u201cDo you think Ma will be okay with this Carter?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t see why not.\u201d Adam replied, and knit his brows together, so that they beetled across his brow, a black line of doubt and anxiety, \u201cHe\u2019s always appeared to be a pleasant enough man.\u201d He turned to look at Hoss, and smiled, \u201cWhat do you think about it, Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cKind of uncomfortable. Life will be different,\u201d the younger man replied, \u201cMa\u2019s always been so strong and responsible, it doesn\u2019t seem right her getting married.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cStrong and responsible women get married all the time. So do beautiful, rich women.\u201d Adam said softly.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I guess.\u201d Hoss nodded, \u201cMa is beautiful. She is rich too.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCarter won\u2019t know a thing about the Ponderosa. But I daresay it won\u2019t take him long to tell us how to run it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo you think so?\u201d Hoss frowned, and his mouth tightened slightly.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s impossible for a man to resist the temptation, isn\u2019t it?\u201d Adam shrugged, \u201cHe\u2019ll be fine for a while, and then he\u2019ll start making suggestions, and then -.\u201d he paused, and shook his head, \u201cSorry, Hoss, I shouldn\u2019t say those kind of things, I don\u2019t know the man well enough to be judgemental of him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t figure out why she wants to marry anyhow.\u201d Hoss muttered, \u201cPa – ,well, Pa was a good husband and I\u2019d have thought she\u2019d never find any man as good as Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe won\u2019t. She hasn\u2019t.\u201d Adam sighed again, \u201cBut it has been twelve years, Hoss, and she must be wanting a man in her life again. She\u2019s not a young woman anymore and it must feel good to be told that she\u2019d loved.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI tell her I love her almost every day,\u201d Hoss said honestly, looking at his brother with his blue eyes implying that that should be quite sufficient for any woman.<\/p>\n \u201cIt isn\u2019t the same kind of love though.\u201d Adam said, and pulled his hat lower to shade his eyes, a signal to his brother that he wanted to be alone with his thoughts now.<\/p>\n Adam found it hard to put his thoughts into any coherent order. Sleep had eluded him entirely and now his mind was back to the endless grind of going round and round, from beginning to end, from possibilities to positives to negatives and back again. One moment he was pleased for Marie, if she wanted to find happiness once again and had that opportunity opened to her, then she should grab it with both hands. The next moment he felt as though a yawning abyss was stretched out before them all. They were teetering on the very edge and should Marie marry, then the Ponderosa and the Cartwrights would plunge to the depths and be no more.<\/p>\n He examined himself in order to prove to himself that he was not being judgemental of Marie or David Carter. He wanted to feel sure that there was no personal reason why he should oppose Marie\u2019s marriage. Yet within himself he could hear his own voice screaming at her not to proceed into such a rash and damaging commitment.<\/p>\n They had spent twelve years fighting to survive. Twelve years in making the Ponderosa the biggest outfit in Nevada, and the most prosperous. They had fought all manner of opponents together \u2026 weather, natural elements, poverty, crooks, murderers. He could recall times when Marie had stood shoulder to shoulder with them, rifle aimed, to ward off possible threats. Now the worse kind of evil had fallen upon them in the name of love. How could he fight against that, knowing that Marie would be on the opposite side?<\/p>\n \u201cAre you really worried about it?\u201d Hoss asked suddenly, his voice cutting through Adam\u2019s thoughts and making him jump in startled awareness of just how far they had travelled in the time they had ceased speaking.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Hoss. To be honest, I am.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut you want Marie to be happy, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure, sure I do.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen what\u2019s the problem?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam shook his head. How could he explain to Hoss that the problem was staring them in the face. The Ponderosa could be lost. All that they had fought for, all that Ben had died for, could be lost and all because of a stranger walking into their lives. A stranger taking Ben\u2019s place. A shiver ran down Adam\u2019s back. How could Marie think a stranger could ever replace Ben Cartwright?<\/p>\n They dismounted in town and tied the reins of their horses to the hitching rail outside the Bucket of Blood. For a moment Adam hesitated, and then glanced over to the First National Bank.<\/p>\n \u201cI think we should get to know Mr Carter better, don\u2019t you?\u201d he suggested to his brother. \u201cI think we should, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss nodded, unable to withstand the intensity of Adams dark gaze and together they crossed the road. Adam pushed open the doors of the Bank and glanced about him. He had only met Carter twice before, but it was not difficult to locate the man seated at a desk at the far corner of the room.<\/p>\n David Carter was tall, and dark. In the moment it took for Adam to survey the man he could see why Marie would be attracted to him. There were similarities of look with Ben. The same broad shoulders, dark skin, dark eyes. His hair was greying, with white at the temples, and in all fairness to him, he looked distinguished and handsome. When he turned, and smiled at them, Adam could see it was a genuinely warm and welcoming smile. When he gestured to them to advance the motion was expansive, and generous.<\/p>\n They pulled out some chairs and sat down, setting their hats upon the desk and crossing their legs, unconsciously shutting themselves off. David Carter surveyed them and smiled. He pushed his chair back and leaned against it, watching them both with a smile on his lips.<\/p>\n \u201cI take it Marie has told you our news?\u201d<\/p>\n His voice was pleasant. Higher pitched than Bens, but then most men\u2019s voices were, Bens magnificent deep brown voice was unique to himself.<\/p>\n \u201cThat you intend to marry? Yes, she told us last night.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe was rather nervous about it. You\u2019ve all been a close family unit for a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, that\u2019s right.\u201d Adam brushed some dust from his pants and sighed, \u201cVery close.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd have you come to convey a welcome to the family or to warn me off?\u201d David\u2019s smile was not quite as warm, and his eyes held a glint in them that even Hoss was not particularly comfortable with upon noticing it. He gave his brother a swift look, just to make sure he wasn\u2019t imagining things.<\/p>\n \u201cIt came as a surprise. We hadn\u2019t realised you knew each other so well.\u201d Adam replied smoothly, looking David coldly in the eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cWe actually go back quite a way. I knew Marie\u2019s first husband in New Orleans and met her on her wedding day. She, of course, being so in love with Jean did not remember me, but I could never forget her. I moved on from there, of course.\u201d he smiled as though apologising for the fact, although it really was irrelevant, \u201cEventually I came here, and met her when she came to the Bank to make a deposit. I recognised her immediately of course.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd, did she recognise you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, no, of course not, why should she? I met her only once, as I said, on her wedding day.. She was deeply in love with her husband and caught up with the whole event of the day. I was a total stranger to her then, and was so still, when I met her here a few months ago.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd you\u2019ve been seeing her ever since?\u201d Hoss asked, wondering in the depth of his mind why Marie had never mentioned it to them before now.<\/p>\n \u201cOh yes, once I told her who I was, and how I had met her before, and how we had almost been neighbours when she was first married, for I became the Manager of a Bank in Baton Rouge.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo you knew a lot about Marie and her marriage to Jean?\u201d Adam said quietly.<\/p>\n \u201cI heard all the local gossip, if that is what you mean, Mr Cartwright.\u201d David\u2019s eyes flicked over to the younger man, \u201cI knew about her son, Clay.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHer son?\u201d Adam and Hoss chorused.<\/p>\n \u201cOh. I\u2019m sorry. Have I committed a faux pas?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou said she had a son called Clay. What happened to him?\u201d Adam asked tensely.<\/p>\n David Carter shrugged his shoulders, and shook his head,<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know. Jean disappeared. The baby vanished. Marie endured a time of \u2026\u201d he paused as though searching for the right word, \u201cwell, difficult times, you understand?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd then she met our Pa and married him,\u201d Adam said quietly.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, but I had left Baton Rouge by then. I had married myself, a nice quiet girl. We moved away to Charleston. She died a few years later and I have remained single ever since.\u201d<\/p>\n Neither Cartwright said a word as they sat and absorbed the facts as he told them. Then Adam shook himself out of his reverie and stood up,<\/p>\n \u201cI guess we\u2019ll be seeing quite a bit more of you then, Mr Carter, at the Ponderosa?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I imagine that you will, Mr Cartwright.\u201d he smiled and stood up, a man as tall as Adam and with eyes just as dark. \u201cBelieve me, both of you, I\u2019m marrying your step-mother, I\u2019m not trying to take your father\u2019s place.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam arched one dark eyebrow and half turned, paused and looked at the man,<\/p>\n \u201cThere wouldn\u2019t be any point in trying, Mr Carter, that\u2019s one place you could never fill.\u201d<\/p>\n The two men walked out of the building without a backward glance, although they could feel his eyes boring into their backs as they walked away. Once outside Hoss released his breath, frowned and looked at Adam with a puzzled expression on his face,<\/p>\n \u201cHey, d\u2019you know what, Adam, I actually don\u2019t like that guy.\u201d<\/p>\n Chapter 3<\/p>\n Joseph had the fidgets. Like his brother Adam, his mind had been in turmoil since his mother had announced her intention to marry David Carter. He had intended to ride into town and meet the man, tell him face to face to leave his mother alone and keep out of their lives, but he had been delegated chores that kept him to the south of the Ponderosa. Working alone and having no one to talk out his frustrations and anxieties created turmoil within him, so by the time he arrived home at the end of the day, he was far from happy.<\/p>\n Marie was sitting at the desk working on the ledgers when the door slammed shut. She paused in her calculations, and waited to hear the footsteps of the man who had entered. She smiled when she recognised Joe\u2019s feet upon the floorboards and stood up to greet him,<\/p>\n \u201cHello, darling, have you had a hard day? You look tired?\u201d she reached out a hand towards him, to touch his tanned skin and, as many a mother before her, reassure him of her love by that simple gesture.<\/p>\n \u201cI am tired,\u201d Joe pulled away, rejecting the motion and the feeling behind it, \u201cI couldn\u2019t sleep last night.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWas that because of what I had told you, about David and I?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPartly.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, what else would have kept you awake?\u201d Marie replied, and sat down to await the disclosure with as much sangfroid as she could muster.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat would happen to the Ponderosa?\u201d Joe blurted out.<\/p>\n \u201cHow do you mean? Nothing would happen to the Ponderosa. Things would just carry on as usual, of course.\u201d she stared at him wide eyed in surprise.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, no they won\u2019t, mother.\u201d Joseph\u2019s eyes flashed, and he shook his head, \u201cIt can\u2019t stay the same if you marry.\u201d<\/p>\n Marie sighed and leaned back against the comfortable leather studded chair back, she looked down at the ledgers and shook her head,<\/p>\n \u201cJoseph, I\u2019m marrying a Banker, and he hasn\u2019t the slightest interest in the Ponderosa.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy not?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy not?\u201d she repeated his words as though surprised to hear them, \u201cBut – why should he be? He doesn\u2019t know anything about ranching.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat hasn\u2019t stopped others wanting to take over the Ponderosa. We\u2019ve fought to keep them off our land, Ma, but I didn\u2019t expect them to come in through the back door.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t be insolent, Joseph.\u201d Marie snapped, her own eyes flashing now.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, it\u2019s true, isn\u2019t it? Do you really expect us to believe that a banker, a store keeper, any man, would not want to be more involved in the Ponderosa other than marrying the owner of it, and living on it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t like your tone, young man.\u201d Marie raised her voice sharply, \u201cI don\u2019t like your insinuations.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry, I didn\u2019t realise I was making any insinuations. I thought I was just stating a fact.\u201d Joe snapped back in return.<\/p>\n Marie stopped to take stock of the situation. Her response she could now see had been overly emotional, and defensive. She looked at her son and remembered how young he was still, barely 17 years of age, and his memories of Ben were such that he idolised the man. She sat down slowly, and bowed her head,<\/p>\n \u201cJoe, I\u2019m sorry. I shouldn\u2019t have replied like that, it was unkind of me. Tell me why you are so worried and let us see what we can arrange between us to keep everything harmonious and good between us?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe took a deep breath and was about to speak when the sound of hoof beats intruded into the stillness of the room. He raised his eyebrows,<\/p>\n \u201cSounds like Adam and Hoss have come home. Perhaps we should wait until they get here before we talk any more about this.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s a good idea. Let\u2019s go and sit where we can be more comfortable, instead of here in the study.\u201d<\/p>\n She walked towards him, slipped her arm through his and together they walked towards the fireplace. Instinctively they both looked up to the picture of Ben, and she felt her son\u2019s body tauten, and then he withdrew his arm.<\/p>\n Chapter 4<\/p>\n Adam and Hoss entered the house and became immediately aware of the atmosphere that existed between Marie and Joe. Rather hesitantly Adam took off his hat and began to untie his gun holster, glancing up and over at his step mother as he did so. Hoss, meanwhile, slapped down his hat and with a deep sigh, walked into the main body of the room,<\/p>\n \u201cEverything alright?\u201d he asked with a lack of tact that made Adam wince.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, not really.\u201d Marie said quietly, looking from one to the other of them.<\/p>\n The three men, one of them her own flesh and blood, said nothing. It was as though they preferred her to start the ball rolling and it rankled in her mind that they would do so. She shook her head, as though to cast off the negative feelings she had, but in doing so she caught the glance that Hoss exchanged with Adam,<\/p>\n \u201cWell, you may as well say whatever it is that you want to say,\u201d she said with a note of weariness in her voice, \u201cIt\u2019s obviously more important than my feelings.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMarie, it\u2019s your feelings that we want to consider first and fore mostly\u201d Adam replied, sitting down in the faded blue chair. He clasped his hands together almost in an attitude of prayer, and looked down at the rug, \u201cWe paid a visit to Mr Carter this morning and had a little chat with him about – about you and the Ponderosa.\u201d<\/p>\n Marie fought to stop the blush mantle her cheeks, but her eyes brightened with tears,<\/p>\n \u201cWhy did you do that?\u201d she asked quietly, \u201cI was going to invite David here for a meal, so that we could relax together and get to know one another more.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt seemed an opportune time,\u201d Adam replied, frowning slightly and feeling rather like a child having been scolded for some misdemenour.<\/p>\n \u201cI thought so too,\u201d Hoss said quickly, \u201cAfter all, I ain\u2019t never met this David Carter but more than twice before, and now that it seems he could be my step-father I wanted to meet him.\u201d<\/p>\n Marie nodded, and sighed. She wrung her hands together in a gesture of despair, as though well aware that her reaching out for happiness was causing difficulties for them. She looked at Joe, pleading with him with her large eyes wet with tears,<\/p>\n \u201cMa, I want you to be happy. You know that we all want that more than anything in the world. It\u2019s just that this has come so unexpected.\u201d Joe responded, trying to quell the doubts and fears in his own heart by considering the turmoil in hers. \u201cIt\u2019s just that I never thought that you would want to marry anyone else, after Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI never thought I would want to either,\u201d Marie said quietly, \u201cI\u2019ve had offers before, but no one has ever touched my heart as David has, and so it was always easy to refuse them.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know that there have been other men in the past who have shown an interest in you, Marie.\u201d Adam smiled slowly, \u201cI\u2019ve seen the way they look at you, with admiration and such, after all, you are still young and very attractive.\u201d<\/p>\n She flashed him a brief smile, wondering if this was his attempt at reconciliation. Hoss sat on the arm of the settee, looking down at the rug, as though he had never noticed before the colours in it.<\/p>\n \u201cThat David Carter said he knew you before, in New Orleans.\u201d he said gruffly.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, that\u2019s right.\u201d Marie agreed, realising that reconciliation or not, the subject was not going to go away that easily.<\/p>\n \u201cHe said that \u2026\u201d Hoss paused and looked over at Adam who was staring at the far wall, his lips pursed, as though not wishing to be part of the conversation, \u201cHe said that you had a son.\u201d<\/p>\n Marie shot a look over at Joseph who had shot up from his seat, his eyes wide and accusing, his face one moment pale and the next, red.<\/p>\n \u201cA son? You have another child, Ma?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI had a son. He died when still only days old. I was very ill, and was unaware that he had died until Jean told me. It was all long ago. There\u2019s nothing secret or mysterious about it. There\u2019s no point in pursuing that subject, Hoss, my little boy died without me really knowing him at all.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDid Pa know?\u201d Joe asked, his hazel eyes full of confusion and anxiety.<\/p>\n \u201cOf course he did. I had no secrets from your father.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut, you never said.\u201d Joe pouted, much like he would when he had been a little boy, \u201cYou never told me about him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere was nothing to tell. I was even too ill to remember him, except in a hazy way. Even that has blurred over the years.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe shook his head, and frowned,<\/p>\n \u201cHow come that Mr Carter knew about him?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause he did,\u201d Marie shrugged slightly, \u201cHe was a friend of Jean\u2019s from long ago. He knew about it. When old friends meet up, Joe, it is only natural to talk about the things they know about, things from the past.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe said nothing to that, but scowled slightly, and looked away.<\/p>\n \u201cIt may be a good idea for you to invite David to the Ponderosa, Marie.\u201d Adam said and stood up, \u201cWe need to get to know him better if your mind is set upon marrying him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAdam, you make it sound like a business venture,\u201d Marie met the dark eyes, and raised her eyebrows, \u201cIf I marry him, it\u2019ll be a marriage.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cQuite. Of course it will be. But for Hoss and I, it will be more than that, after all, he will be your husband, Joe\u2019s step father. He won\u2019t be anything other than your husband to us \u2026 and that involves business, because it will involve the Ponderosa.\u201d<\/p>\n Marie stood up, and straightened her shoulders, and tilted her chin challengingly,<\/p>\n \u201cOf course, it always comes down to the Ponderosa, doesn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d Adam replied looking at her intently, \u201cYes, for Hoss and I, it does, because that is all we will have left of our Father to hold onto \u2026 and Marie, we intend to hold onto it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou make it sound as though marrying David will rob you of your rights. You know that won\u2019t happen.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, Marie, we don\u2019t know. That\u2019s the whole point, the whole problem, we don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n \u201cAre you alright, Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n Joseph looked over at the open door to his room, and at his eldest brother who stood in the gap, with an oil lamp in his hand casting a golden glow, like a halo, about his head.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel all mixed up, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI guess we all do,\u201d Adam agreed, stepping into the room and setting the oil lamp onto the table next to the bed, \u201cIt was rather disturbing news, wasn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI want my Ma to be happy, Adam, sure I do. But why does she have to get married? I thought she was happy with us as we were\u2026 we all got along just fine, didn\u2019t we?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, sure we did. But, I guess, well, I guess it just wasn\u2019t enough. Time passes and we all get older. Love fades a little, and the grief passes, and leaves an emptiness that needs to be filled. Then someone comes along and fills that need. It\u2019s only natural, Joe. Your Ma is a very lovely lady after all.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut I always thought I would look after her. I promised Pa at his funeral that I would always look after Ma.\u201d<\/p>\n Adm nodded, and put a gentle hand on his brother\u2019s arm, he could feel it tremble beneath his touch and sighed,<\/p>\n \u201cOne day you\u2019ll marry and have children of your own. You\u2019d expect Marie to accept that, wouldn\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, of course. But she would still be here, we would still look after her.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPerhaps she doesn\u2019t want to be looked after by us, Joe. May be she wants to be able to love a man, and be part of all that again. We\u2019re not children anymore, Joe, we\u2019re men. Maybe she feels we don\u2019t need her so much now, and that emptiness in her heart yearns for someone else to love now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re talking as though you think she should marry. But, I thought, before, that you were against her marrying anyone.\u201d Joe frowned, looking at his brother with a confused, perplexed look on his face.<\/p>\n Adam sighed and stood up, he passed his hand over the back of his head, smoothing the dark curls upon his neck as he did so, a slight frown furrowed his brow,<\/p>\n \u201cI know. Talking to you like this and it all makes sense. I can feel for her, and understand what she needs and wants. Then I start thinking about other things, and that\u2019s when everything gets mixed up. You see, Joe, Pa\u2019s dream was to create the Ponderosa for us all. That dream was fulfilled, but he had to fight to keep it, and he died keeping it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know. I remember -.\u201d Joe shivered, the memory of that awful day, although blurred, suddenly loomed large in his mind.<\/p>\n \u201cHe wanted the Ponderosa to be kept whole. For all of us. We had our share, of course. In his will Pa left us each a section of the Ponderosa for our own use should we marry or just want to branch off on our own. So long as the Ponderosa remained one complete whole unit then everything would keep Pa\u2019s dream alive.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMa\u2019s marriage can\u2019t change that, can it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt could.\u201d Adam said with a sigh, \u201cThat\u2019s the problem, Joe, it could.\u201d<\/p>\n They looked at one another for an instant, their eyes locked as they both thought of the man they had loved so much and who had died so brutally. Adam lowered his head,<\/p>\n \u201cPa didn\u2019t have to die, Joe. If he had got his horse to clear the gully he would have got away. He moved his horse into the path of the bullets. He died to save my life. It was my fault that he died, Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n Chapter<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve never said anything about this before,\u201d Joe scanned his brother\u2019s face thoughtfully, \u201cYou were so young,\u201d Adam sighed and sat down, and looked at Joe earnestly, \u201cI can\u2019t believe that I was just your age when it happened. It seems so long ago, and yet, just lately, it seems as though it were only yesterday.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs that because of Ma?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI guess so,\u201d Adam nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cDoes she know what happened ? I mean, when Pa was killed, did you tell Ma?\u201d \u201cSo what did happen? Can you tell me?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam said nothing for a fraction of a moment as he thought back to the day of Ben\u2019s death. He could already feel the heat of the sun on his back, and the lightness in his heart. Everything seemed so good in the world just then. He was 17 years old, and Ben had told him that the previous evening he and Marie had been discussing whether or not to send Adam to college. They had decided, that if Adam wished to go, they would apply on his behalf right away. He could remember the excitement he had felt at the thought of going to college. He had gabbled his thanks, wanted reassurance that it was really, really, alright by them both, and that they really did not mind him going, no, not in the slightest.<\/p>\n He was whistling a tune when the first bullets were fired, and it was at this point that he began his narrative to Joe,<\/p>\n \u201cI was whistling some tune, feeling happy and relaxed and Pa was riding by my side, smiling. We were heading for home after the branding. Pa had just said that he hoped Hoss hadn\u2019t eaten all the supper as he could eat a horse he was that hungry, and then someone shot from the bushes as we passed them. I was startled not only by the crack of the rifle, but by the fact that they were shooting from behind. They were going to shoot us in the back.<\/p>\n \u201cPa yelled at me to ride \u2018hell for leather\u2019 he said, but I half turned my horse, and drew out my gun and fired into the bushes. There was an immediate response as bullets whistled all around us then, and by my estimate there were at least three men concealed there. Pa and I both fired even as we turned the horses for home and put spurs to their flanks to urge them on. Then there were gunshots from ahead of us, and we realised we were boxed in.<\/p>\n \u201c\u201dHead for the gully\u201d Pa yelled and spun his horse so that he was riding back towards the first gunshooters. I called to him to come, to get out of there, but he rode on, firing into the bushes. I fired at the shooter ahead of us and heard a yell, and for some reason I thought we would be alright. If I could get one of them, then Pa would surely get the others. Pa must have realised that I was a sitting duck for them, and he rode straight between me and them, firing into the bushes all the while.<\/p>\n \u201cI took a bullet in the arm, and must have slumped low in my saddle for I heard Pa yell out my name. But then, suddenly, there was no sound. I turned my horse round and saw Pa slip from the saddle to the ground.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd, was that when it happened? Was he dead?\u201d Joe asked hoarsely.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t think he was, simply because I couldn\u2019t believe that Pa would ever die. He always seemed invincible to me. I fired again and again into the bushes, until my gun was empty, but there was no answering fire. I heard horses in the distance. I hadn\u2019t realised that they had already gone, I just couldn\u2019t stop banging away at where I thought they would still be hiding. I can remember yelling at them to come out and show themselves for the cowards they were. But, of course, by then it was too late, they were mounted and riding off, and Pa was there\u2026 on the ground.<\/p>\n \u201cI went to him and held him close. He just looked at me and smiled, and told me to take care of everyone because \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat was it,\u201d Adam shrugged, \u201cTake care of everything, Adam. Take care of your brothers because \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n His voice trailed away and he sighed, and Joe, seated at his side, released his breath too. After a moment\u2019s silence the younger man turned to his brother and shook his head,<\/p>\n \u201cYou can\u2019t blame yourself, Adam. It was something that could have happened to any one of us.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know, but it happened to Pa, to me. I should have covered his back.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy are you telling me this now?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause I wanted you to know.\u201d Adam replied and picked up the oil lamp, \u201cIn view of whatever happens in the future, I want you to understand why I want to keep the Ponderosa intact, why it\u2019s so important to me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause of Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, because of Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n Chapter 6<\/p>\n David Carter entered the door into the big room with the air of a man who had captured a city. It had been his intention to make his entrance with an air of sincere appreciation for their hospitality, and with enough panache to convery that he didn\u2019t owe them any favours. With a delicate balance of both he had hoped to convey to them that his motives were pure, based solely on love of the beautiful Marie.<\/p>\n And, she was beautiful. Even though past the bloom of youth Marie still retained the essentials for beauty. High cheekbones, wide eyes, full lips. Her crowning glory remained bountiful and rich. Her temperment was still fiery, still passionate, and best of all, she was wealthy and the owner of The Ponderosa.<\/p>\n Of course, there was the small matter of the three Cartwright boys, but David felt he could dismiss them out of the equation. Joe was his mother\u2019s son, the other two\u2026well, perhaps they could stay, on sufferance.<\/p>\n He stood in the centre of the room and looked about him with the air of a conqueror. He had captured Marie\u2019s heart, just as he had expected he would, so it would not be long before everything she owned, would be his. Marie was standing by his side, flushed with pleasure at seeing him there, perhaps a little anxious about how the evening would progress but seeing this as a great leap forward.<\/p>\n The three Cartwright boys stood in a row in front of the hearth, with the framed picture of Ben glowering above their heads. (\u2018Well, that\u2019ll be the first thing to go, in the fire, if possible\u2019 David told himself). All three were dressed in clean white shirts, with ivory brocade vests, black velvet string ties, and neatly pressed grey trousers. Hop Sing had kept Cousin No 2 in the laundry, busy. They stood politely waiting on their guest to speak. Marie had taught them the etiquette necessary in good New Orleans society, and was pleased to see it now in practice.<\/p>\n Joe had thought it amusing when both Adam and David had gone to assist Marie with her chair. He could barely conceal his laughter as both men gripped the back of the chair and glared mutely at one another. David, very sensibly, gave way, smiling at Marie and giving a good humoured shrug as though he also could see the joke . Adam was not amused.<\/p>\n Hop Sing had, as always on special occasions, excelled. The food was delicious. The conversation was, to say the least, forced. For some time there was an uncomfortable silence broken only by requests for this or that at the table, then David decided to start the ball rolling, so to speak, by asking questions.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, Joseph, how old are you now?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSeventeen, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd, you never thought of going to college?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, sir, there was enough for me to do here.\u201d Joe lowered his head and scowled at the plate of food.<\/p>\n \u201cI see there\u2019s a whole range of books here. So, who\u2019s the scholar?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAdam is.\u201d Hoss replied, \u201cAdam could have gone to college. He\u2019s real clever. Adam knows everything there is to know about everything.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPraise indeed,\u201d Carter remarked drily. He was silent for a while and ate his food which he told Marie was excellent, \u201cSo, where did you get your education, Adam? I was under the impression that you travelled most of your childhood, and there was no school here for some time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy father taught me the elementary things,\u201d Adam intoned, as though the subject was boring and really did not require discussion, \u201cWhenever we stopped at a settlement or township that had a school then I would get some educating there, same as Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a pity you didn\u2019t get to college then. Did the thought never occur to your father how well you could have done there?\u201d David raised his eyebrows as though pleased to find one fault at least with the saintly Ben Cartwright.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, the thought did occur to my father, thank you.\u201d Adam replied coldly, \u201cBut he was killed, and, as Joe said, there were more important things to get on with here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI never knew your father had mentioned college to you, Adam,\u201d Marie said with deep feeling in her voice, \u201cWe had only discussed it together the previous evening -.\u201d she paused, looked into his face, and turned away. There was nothing else to be said. She understood all there was needed to know.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat would you have studied at college then? Had you succeeded in getting there?\u201d David persisted on a route that he seemed difficult to get off.<\/p>\n \u201cEngineering probably.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd would you have come back to the Ponderosa or branched out on your own? A career in engineering would suit you well back in Boston. I believe that is where you originate from, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n If there was a slight sneer in David\u2019s voice the Cartwright\u2019s chose to ignore it out of consideration for Marie. After a moment in which he struggled to keep his voice calm, Adam glanced up at their visitor,<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Boston. I daresay you are right, an engineering career would have suited me very well. However, it didn\u2019t happen, and I preferred to stay here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDid they ever get the men who killed your father?\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss suddenly found something he swallowed had gone the wrong way, and began a bout of violent coughing to remove it. Joe dropped his fork with a clatter on the table so that it then rolled onto the floor. He disappeared for some seconds to retrieve it and managed to look calm again when he reappeared. Adam merely continued to eat, although a slight frown now furrowed his brow,<\/p>\n \u201cI shot one man. He died before reaching town. Another man was found at Placerville \u201cRough justice -.\u201d David muttered.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was justice. Divine justice. A life for a life, isn\u2019t that what the good book says?\u201d Joe snapped.<\/p>\n \u201cOf course. I didn\u2019t intend to sound derogatory about the sentence in your father\u2019s case. No, not at all.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen what did you intend to sound like, Mr Carter?\u201d Joe snapped, his voice hard and brittle, while his eyes blazed and his nose was pinched in his effort to conceal his temper.<\/p>\n \u201cJust that here, where things are less – refined shall we say? – I wonder about such things . Being a stranger here to the town, to your ways, and customs. It was just that I heard someone say that it was more like a lynch mob than a proper execution.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cExecution?\u201d Hoss frowned, \u201cHow\u2019d you mean? An execution?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe bounced up and flung down his napkin,<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a properly carried out hanging, that\u2019s what it was, and that\u2019s what they deserved. The law said they were to be hanged by the neck until dead, and that\u2019s what they got. It was fairer justice than what they gave to my Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJoseph -,\u201d Marie\u2019s voice called out to him, but he had gone, rounding the table like a startled calf, and bounding out of the house.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll go and speak to him,\u201d Adam said quietly, and excused himself politely but in such a cold tone of voice that Marie knew she had lost the first attempt to get David accepted by them.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry, David, Joe can be a bit hot tempered.\u201d she said very softly, while a flush of red blushed at her cheeks.<\/p>\n \u201cI should apologise. I just blundered in and said all the wrong things. I\u2019m sorry, Hoss, I should have been far more tactful.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss said nothing but gave the man the benefit of a long blue stare to show his disapproval and distaste at the whole thing. \u201cCome to haul me back in?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, not if you don\u2019t want to, the air is a lot fresher here.\u201d Adam smiled thinly.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat a humbug of a man. I can\u2019t stand him. How can mother possibly be considering him for a husband? She should have married Matt Fraser. He was a decent, honest enough man.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMmmm,\u201d Adam said nothing but promptly dismissed Matt Fraser from his mind. \u201cJoe, I guess it can\u2019t be easy for Carter either. He probably just wants to get a few loose ends tidied up.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHuh, loose ends indeed. Talking about Pa like he did. As though – as though those men had every right to be there to shoot at you and Pa? What kind of idiot goes around shooting his mouth off like that?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam shook his head and leaned with his back against the railing. He stared up at the sky, at the stars that beamed down upon them, and he sighed,<\/p>\n \u201cHe just got off on the wrong foot, didn\u2019t he?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n They stood in companionable silence for a while, deep in their own personal thoughts. Joe gave a long sigh and looked at his brother,<\/p>\n \u201cDid Pa really think of sending you to college?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, apparently so. He and Marie were discussing it the evening before he died, and we had talked it over that morning. To tell you the truth, Joe, I had never felt so excited about anything for a long time. I\u2019d have -\u201d he paused, and then shrugged again, before looping his thumbs loosely over his belt, \u201cIt would have been quite an experience, wouldn\u2019t it? Going to college, I mean.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019d have never lived it down,\u201d Joe chuckled, \u201cAdam Cartwright, the college boy.\u201d \u201cIt should have done. You\u2019d have done well at college. Not like Hoss or I. Them years at school with Miss Jones were more than enough for me.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam smiled slowly and nodded, \u201cYes, Joe, I agree.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo you think Ma will marry him? That Carter?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou know your mother better than anyone, Joe. What do you think?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe frowned, the tanned smooth brow furrowed into deep grooves as he considered his mother and her ability to do something purely out of the emotion of the moment, he sighed deeply,<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t see what she see\u2019s in him,\u201d he said finally.<\/p>\n \u201cPerhaps it\u2019s what she can\u2019t see in him that has the attraction,\u201d Adam replied in an odd voice, \u201cAre you coming back in?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe said nothing but hung his head down and stuffed his hands in his pockets. Looking like a woe begone school boy he trailed behind his brother and made his way back to the house.<\/p>\n Chapter 7<\/p>\n They knew they were going to get a scolding. Marie\u2019s face had set into the stern lines that normally indicated a telling off. Adam wondered what Ben would have done in the circumstances, had he brought a woman to the Ponderosa as a prospective wife and they had treated her in the cavalier manner they had treated Carter. There was no doubt that when Carter closed the door behind him and made his solitary way home that he would not have know exactly how the Cartwright boys felt about him.<\/p>\n Marie turned to face them and clasped her hands together. Each one of them received the kind of scorching look that they hated, but this evening attempted to meet determinedly in order not to indicate any backing down on their part.<\/p>\n \u201cWell? What have you say for yourselves? I was very, very disappointed in you all this evening. Your attitude was disgraceful and your manners deplorable.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think you can complain about our manners, Mama,\u201d Joe said looking with innocent charm at her, \u201cI thought we were very polite.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe less you say, Joseph, the better. I know we can\u2019t turn back the clock, but tomorrow I want you to ride into town and apologise.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhich one of us do you want to do that?\u201d Adam asked looking at her rather smugly, \u201cOr doesn\u2019t it matter?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe three of you. All of you.\u201d Marie snapped back immediately with her eyes blazing and her cheeks reddening. \u201cDavid is a kind man and you made him feel unwelcome here at the Ponderosa. What would your father have thought of you all?\u201d<\/p>\n Not one of them flinched. Adam merely thought how much Ben would have disliked Carter. Hoss considered the fact that Ben would probably have distrusted the man, just as he did at that very moment. Joe thought the question irrelevant as with Ben still alive Carter would not be around. They stared back at her and said nothing.<\/p>\n \u201cCan\u2019t you see how he was only trying to take an interest in you all? He wants to get to know you, and – and he wants you to like him. You made him feel unacceptable.\u201d she looked at them one by one, and saw no remorse in their faces at all. \u201cDon\u2019t any of you want to see me happy? Can\u2019t you understand what this means to me?\u201d<\/p>\n Now each one of them reacted by casting their eyes down to the ground, shuffling their feet, and looking uncomfortable. Hoss shrugged,<\/p>\n \u201cWhat was wrong with Matt Fraser?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n \u201cMatt Fraser?\u201d Marie frowned, \u201cThat was ages ago. Don\u2019t be silly, Hoss, just because a man asked me to the town social several times doesn\u2019t mean he wanted to marry me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI thought he did.\u201d Joe said, frowning. \u201cHe asked me how I would feel if he asked you to marry him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh? And what did you say?\u201d Marie snapped.<\/p>\n \u201cI said that would be fine. His land added to the Ponderosa would make us the biggest spread in the territory. He thought that was a good idea.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo, if David were a rancher and not a banker , you\u2019d accept him?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMatt Fraser isn\u2019t just a rancher, he\u2019s a friend and we\u2019ve known him a long time.\u201d Adam replied quietly.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve known David a long time,\u201dMarie replied, \u201cAnd I care for him\u2026very much.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut, do you love him?\u201d Adam asked, looking at her thoughtfully, \u201cIf you intend to marry him, you have to love him.\u201d<\/p>\n Marie said nothing to that, she merely thinned her lips and turned away from them. Each one of them watched her leave the room with mixed feelings stirring in their hearts. Once she had turned into the kitchen area Adam turned to his brothers,<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not going to see Carter. Which one of you wants to go?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve too much to do tomorrow.\u201d HOss frowned, \u201cThat just leaves you, little brother.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I know. I had that figgered out already.\u201d Joe scowled.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s probably better if it is you, Joe, after all, you are your mother\u2019s son.\u201d Adam softened the words by smiling.<\/p>\n \u201cI could tell him to leave her, and us, alone.\u201d Joe\u2019s eyes lit up, \u201cHe may take it more seriously coming from me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou could try, but somehow, I don\u2019t think it\u2019ll work.\u201d came the not so useful reply.<\/p>\n ****** \u201cFine, just fine.\u201d Evie Templeton replied, puckering her lips into the kind of smile she used whenever she met a handsome young man.<\/p>\n \u201cI must say, Evie, you\u2019re looking well. You must have a new man in your life.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat makes you say that?\u201d Evie replied, her cheeks reddening very slightly.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, that necklace you\u2019re wearing. I\u2019ve not seen it before.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSince when would you know the contents of my jewellery box, Little Joe Cartwright?\u201d Evie snapped, and with a toss of her elegantly groomed head she sasheyed away.<\/p>\n Joe smiled a good humoured grin as he watched her retreat from the bank. No doubt about it, Evie Templeton was a great looking girl. Hardly seemed possible he used to carry her books to school for her. She was the first girl he had fallen in love with\u2026and he was all of the age of 8. He had been in seventh heaven because she was so kind of him, but then she was older, aged 10. With a sigh over long forgotten times Joe turned and pushed open the door to the bank.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2019Morning, Tom, is Mr Carter here? I\u2019d like to see him.\u201d Joe smiled and took off his hat as Tom Milnes stood up to greet him.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve probably be the only person in town who would\u2026like to see him, I mean. He\u2019s been like a bear with sore head this morning.\u201d Tom sighed heavily, \u201cI thought he was visiting the Ponderosa last night?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe was, I mean, he did\u2026\u201d Joe frowned, \u201cSo? Is he available?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNope, he took a horse and rode on out about an hour ago. Miss Templeton was asking after him as well, and wasn\u2019t too happy to know he\u2019d gone out.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReally? What would Evie want with David Carter?\u201d<\/p>\n Tom raised his eyebrows. He may have gone to school with both Joe and Evie but as she was one of the Bank\u2019s customers, he knew that due respect had to be accorded to her. He raised himself tall,<\/p>\n \u201cI wouldn\u2019t know,\u201d he replied. \u201cDo you want me to make an appointment for you, Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe was not a customer of that particular bank so didn\u2019t have the same courtesy applied to him. So far as Tom was concerned, Joe was an old school chum.<\/p>\n Joe shook his head and smiled, slipped his hat back on his head and left the bank. With nothing else left to do but kick his heels in town, he strolled over to the Bucket of Blood and over a glass of cold beer he pondered over the reason Miss Evie Templeton would want to see David Carter so urgently.<\/p>\n *******<\/p>\n Adam Cartwright dismounted and tethered Sport to the hitching rail. With a slight frown furrowing his brow he took off his hat, and brushed dust from his pants as he walked to the house. He wondered what kind of mood his step mother would be in now. Marie had not joined them for breakfast and Hop Sing was tight lipped. That meant that he had had a \u2018chat\u2019 with Marie at some time during the previous evening and was viewing matters through her eyes rather than theirs.<\/p>\n He glanced at the other horse nodding over the rail, and wondered who had come visiting. He wondered if it could have been Carter, but dismissed the possibility as Monday was always a busy day at Banks. Frowning slightly he pushed open the door and entered the house.<\/p>\n It was quiet in the big room. He stood there with his hand against the wooden timbers of the door, and listened. He had heard some noise as he had pushed open the door. Something \u2026 not quite right. He stayed where he was and waited for the noise to resume. There it was again\u2026the rustling of papers, the hasty opening of drawers.<\/p>\n Walking with long stealthy strides he entered the room and turned into the study area, where Ben had placed his big desk and leather backed \u2018Captain\u2019s chair\u2019. Probably, he surmised, Marie was sorting out some paperwork and as she was pretty useless at it, would be glad of his help. He was half smiling in anticipation of his step-mother\u2019s usual wide eyed appeal for assistance when he stopped, mid stride as he saw who was at the desk.<\/p>\n David Carter was also wide eyed when he looked up, and saw, not Marie, but Adam Cartwright looking at him.<\/p>\n \u201cLooking for something?\u201d Adam asked with ice in his voice.<\/p>\n \u201cMarie – she asked me to look for something.\u201d David replied, his voice rather thick in the way voices can at times be when its owner is caught by surprise.<\/p>\n \u201cSomething? Such as what?\u201d Adam stepped forward, and casually lifted one paper to another, noticing documents that had been neatly filed away a long time before now muddled and cast about.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, something she wanted to check over with me. After all,\u201d David\u2019s voice was steady now, he felt himself on surer ground, \u201cI am a banker, and know about things you would not be aware of, Adam. Obviously she would turn to me for advice in that capacity.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam said nothing for a moment, but stared at him coldly. Then he let the papers slip from his fingers back onto the desk.<\/p>\n \u201cIf there is anything to discuss about the Ponderosa, you discuss it with me. Now, if you don\u2019t mind, would you kindly vacate my father\u2019s desk.\u201d<\/p>\n David Carter reddened, his eyes widened slightly, then narrowed. Very quickly he moved away from the desk. He picked up his hat, and without a word left the building.<\/p>\n Chapter 8<\/p>\n \u201cDavid?\u201d \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong? Where are you going? I thought we were going for a ride together this afternoon?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry, of course we are, I had not forgotten it\u2019s just that \u2026\u201d he stopped as though wondering what to say next. He forced a smile, and shrugged, \u201cI\u2019m afraid Adam and I have just had a bit of an altercation.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAdam? Why? I thought he was working away today.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, he came home early, as you can see,\u201d Carter indicated Sport nodding over the hitching rail, \u201cAnd I offended him, unintentionally I must add in my own defence.\u201d he laughed a little then, as though in an attempt to pass it off as nothing to be unduly concerned about, \u201cHe found me sitting at his father\u2019s desk, looking through some old papers. He didn\u2019t like it.\u201d<\/p>\n Marie sighed and glanced over at the house. She could imagine Adam now, glowering furiously as he put papers back in order and wondered at David\u2019s audacity. She stepped forward as though to go to the house, but then stopped herself, and turned towards David and smiled,<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s forget about Adam for a while, shall we? We were going to go for a ride together, to enjoy some time being with each other, remember?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI hadn\u2019t forgotten,\u201d David laughed gently, his eyes shone, and he drew her towards him and into his arms.<\/p>\n Marie released a sigh of contentment as she felt herself enveloped in his embrace. She closed her eyes and held him against her, and kissed his lips with a feeling of exultation racing through her veins. She was a passionate woman still, and being loved, was intoxicating. She smiled as she stepped back and looked at him, recognising by his kiss a man of like spirit and feeling.<\/p>\n \u201cShall we go for that ride now?\u201d she said softly.<\/p>\n ********* He set them out again, now in a neat pile. One by one he looked through the relevant details; one by one each document proved legal ownership, right of ownership, to Ben Cartwright.<\/p>\n When he had finished his perusal he sat very still. Slowly he raised his eyes and looked at the portrait of his father. It was a strange thing the way humans put off doing things, checking over details of matters because of assumptions from things said and promised. He had read those documents before shortly after his father\u2019s death. Then they meant only what they said \u2026 everything was legally, neatly, owned by Ben Cartwright. There was no reference to part ownership by Adam, or Hoss, or Joseph Cartwright. Why should there have been, after all, they had been children then, when those deeds and shares and entities had been drawn up.<\/p>\n But now things had changed. Marie was on the verge of remarriage. Her son and step-sons were no longer children. The promise, the hope, the dream of one man to keep the Ponderosa for his sons as a complete enterprise could well be dashed, ruined, if \u2026if Ben had put into writing his verbal promise.<\/p>\n They had talked about it, Marie, Ben, Adam and the boys, as they were then. They had picked the bits of the Ponderosa they personally loved, their favourite sections. Ben would swing Joe up in the air and point to the map where Joe wanted to ride horses all day long, and Hoss would put little pencil marks on the map where he was going to have his house, and everything had been perfect, everything had been just right.<\/p>\n Adam pushed himself away from the desk and stood up. He walked to the safe and opened it carefully. He knew what was in the safe as he was the one who would put the money for wages and other business deals there every week. He knew the letters, the bonds, the deeds that were stacked there in one section of it. But he couldn\u2019t recall seeing one particular deed for a long time.<\/p>\n \u201cHi Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe\u2019s voice made Adam jump. He stood up and swung the safe door shut.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n With the perception of a youth who knew every shade and shadow of his sibling, Joe knew immediately that something had happened during his absence. He ran his fingers through his shock of hair, and frowned, while Adam returned to the desk.<\/p>\n \u201cWell? What\u2019s happened?\u201d Joe asked again, perching on the corner of the desk and looking at his brother with a puzzled expression on his face, \u201cCat got your tongue or summat?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam drew in a deep breath and released it slowly,<\/p>\n \u201cJoe, do you remember Pa making a will?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d Joe shook his head, \u201cI was just a kid, remember?\u201d he smiled, then his face changed and he looked anxious, \u201cWhy do you ask?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPa always talked about what was our share of the Ponderosa should anything happen to us. He talked about it as though it was guaranteed as our inheritance. A Will would be the legal guarantee\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure, of course.\u201d Joe nodded, narrowing his eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t find it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat? You can\u2019t find the Will?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo. I can\u2019t find it. I swear to goodness that I saw one drawn up once, it was here on the desk, before Pa died. He showed me what he wanted left for you, and Hoss and myself. He wanted Marie to have the house here, and her share too, and preferably for us to live and care for her until we each married. I remember saying then that she could marry first, and he said, no, that would never happen, but if it did, our share would be safe.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDidn\u2019t you see it again?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo. I assumed it was here in the desk with his other legal documents. I\u2019ve looked through them and I can\u2019t find it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo what does that mean?\u201d Joe bit his lip and looked anxiously at his brother.<\/p>\n \u201cEverything is in Pa\u2019s name. All legal and above board. Since Pa died Marie, as his wife, would naturally take over ownership of everything.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI guess we kinda assumed that, didn\u2019t we?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf I can\u2019t find that Will, it means that she is the legal owner of the land Pa wanted us to have, it means that the Ponderosa \u2026\u201d he paused as though the words were too difficult to think about, \u201cWell, it will remain one complete unit but David Carter, should he marry Marie, will own it should she die at anytime during their marriage.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen what about us?\u201d \u201cPerhaps Pa left it with the lawyer in town.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood idea, I\u2019ll ride out there and check.\u201d Adam stood up and walked towards the door, checked only when Joe grabbed his arm,<\/p>\n \u201c\u201dWhy the hurry? Something else has happened, hasn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDavid Carter was here, going through Pa\u2019s papers. And,\u201d he paused, thinking back to the sight of Marie kissing Carter, \u201cAnd, Joe, I doubt if we\u2019ll be able to persuade your mother not to marry him. She loves him.\u201d<\/p>\n Chapter 9<\/p>\n The sky was so blue and the sun\u2019s warmth bathed them into a cocoon of pleasurable comfort. The scent of wild flowers and grass wafted about them, and the waters of the lake shone with a million million diamonds as the sun gleamed upon its surface.<\/p>\n They held hands loosely, but it was sufficient. The pleasure was from being together. Whatever thoughts David Carter may have been thinking about Adam, Hoss and Joe were certainly not restricting his passion for their mother. Marie had stopped thinking about the boys as soon as they had ridden out of the yard. Her mind was full of \u2026 what to say, how to say it, when to say it. She wanted to let him know how much she loved him, without him feeling that she was being too forward, or too amorous too soon. She wanted to see the pleasure in his eyes, and the love, and to hear only the words a woman besotted by a man would want to hear.<\/p>\n And she had not been disappointed. Nor had he.<\/p>\n So now they sat together watching the wild flowers tossing their heads in the breeze, and being dazzled by the effects of the sun shining upon the water. She turned towards him,<\/p>\n \u201cThank you for this afternoon, David. After what happened last night, I really needed the reassurance of this time spent with you.\u201d<\/p>\n He smiled and raised her hand to his lips, and kissed the open palm tenderly. Then he kissed her wrist and enjoyed the pleasure of feeling her tremble as his lips brushed against her skin, against the pulse beat.<\/p>\n \u201cIt wasn\u2019t so bad really. Your sons are obviously on the defensive. They\u2019ve had you to themselves for a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n His voice was deep and kindly, understanding and sympathetic. The fact that he had returned home and kicked the furniture about the room, would never have been suspected. He had felt insulted, and was more than a little angry. A Southern gentlemen back home would have demanded satisfaction by means of a duel but somehow, he had rightly sensed, that would have resulted in difficulties with Marie.<\/p>\n \u201cAdam was there when Ben died. He has helped me to bring up Hoss and Joe, and he has more or less run the Ponderosa single handed. It has only been since Hoss and Joe reached more mature years that he has been able to delegate any responsibility to them. He feels passionately about the Ponderosa, David.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSuch passion should be reserved only for a woman,\u201d David smiled and leaned forward to kiss her cheek, then allowed his lips to follow along to reach her lips. \u201cYet, Adam is not the owner of the Ponderosa, is he?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe believes that he and his brothers own the Ponderosa, with me, of course.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe believes ? Are you saying, then, that he is not the owner? That he is, perhaps, acting only in the role of caretaker, or foreman?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I suppose that is the better way of describing it. Of course, it goes without saying that they will have their share of the Ponderosa should they require it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBen did not make a Will?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe probably did,\u201d Marie shrugged her shoulders and smiled dreamily, \u201cHe never liked to talk about such things. For such a practical man, he didn\u2019t like to think of death and such as that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat man does when he has everything he could wish for in the palm of his hands.\u201d David looked down at his own hands at that point, as though the statement he had just made reminded him that his own hands were, figuratively, empty.<\/p>\n Marie suddenly remembered what David had mentioned earlier, before they had started their ride together, she turned to him, her brow creased in a slight furrow of anxiety,<\/p>\n \u201cWhy did you say Adam was angry with you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, for nothing really. He was angry because I was sitting at his father\u2019s desk, looking through some papers.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat papers?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSome old deeds that were in the bottom drawer of the desk.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy were you looking at them?\u201d<\/p>\n David shrugged, smiled, and looked at her thoughtfully,<\/p>\n \u201cI was curious, that is all. I was waiting for you, and had time on my hands. I opened the drawer and saw the papers. Being a businessman, anything with red seals on appeals to me. I wanted to wile away the time, that is all.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI can understand why Adam would feel angry, David. He could have thought you were snooping into the Ponderosa\u2019s private affairs, into his father\u2019s business.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh for goodness sake, Marie, Ben has been dead twelve years now. Doesn\u2019t the man realise that yet?\u201d<\/p>\n A puzzled look swept over Marie\u2019s face, but then she thought of how things must appear to those who did not know Adam, or Ben, and realised, yet again, how they needed to move on from that terrible tragedy that had befallen them twelve years ago.<\/p>\n \u201cHe has perhaps an obsession about his father, but then they shared a very difficult, arduous time together. Hoss\u2019 mother died horribly, and he saw that too\u2026 you must give him the benefit of the doubt, David. He is a good man, a loyal son. I leaned on him heavily after Ben\u2019s death. He may find it hard to adjust to the fact that I shall not be doing so any longer.\u201d<\/p>\n David sighed as though content, and, in a way, he was, for she had said in that last sentence what he wanted to hear. He leaned towards her, just as she leaned towards him.<\/p>\n ********<\/p>\n Hoss strode into the big room and flung his hat onto the bureau. With a scowl on his pleasant face he looked over at Joe who was comfortably seated in the red leather chair, reading a book and munching on an apple.<\/p>\n \u201cFinished early,\u201d Joe muttered.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, and I wish I hadn\u2019t,\u201d Hoss growled deep in this throat, picked up an apple and slumped down on the settee.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy, what\u2019s wrong?\u201d Joe glanced over at his brother with his eyes wide with curiosity. It wasn\u2019t often that Hoss returned home so disgruntled,<\/p>\n \u201cWal, I was riding home and saw Ma\u2019s horse and some strange horse up thar by Millers Gate.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah?\u201d Joe frowned, and felt his stomach churn over. He cleared his throat, \u201cWell, go on\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo happened I just looked over the ridge to see who Ma was with, although I had a fair notion, but \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut?\u201d Joe put his partially eaten apple on the table, sensing that he might drop it.<\/p>\n \u201cWal, they were kissin\u2019 and canoodlin\u2019 and all that kinda stuff.\u201d Hoss sighed, and put his untouched apple back in the fruit bowl, \u201cI guess she\u2019s does love him, after all.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo you think she loves him more than us?\u201d Joe said quietly after a few moments of silence as he tried to imagine the scene and wished he hadn\u2019t, while Hoss tried to erase it, unsuccessfully from his mind.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a different kind of love,\u201d Hoss said, repeating Adam\u2019s words from the previous day. \u201cBut if she marries him, things here are sure going to be different.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo you really think they will be?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure. You don\u2019t think a sensible guy actually likes sitting behind a desk in a bank when he could be running the Ponderosa, do you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAdam runs the Ponderosa,\u201d Joe said quickly, and then smiled, \u201cWell, with our help of course.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, we all run the Ponderosa. We own it, and we manage it. If it weren\u2019t for us, then all Pa\u2019s hopes for this place would have gone up in the smoke. All due respect to your Ma, Joe, but she ain\u2019t got no head for business now, has she?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe sighed and nodded. True enough, Marie had made several bad investments since Ben\u2019s death and several times it had taken all they could manage to get back level again.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t want to think it would be that bad, not really.\u201d Joe said slowly, \u201cI mean, if Ma loves Carter, and marries him, then we\u2019ll have to just get on with it, won\u2019t we? In the long run it won\u2019t make much difference, except that he\u2019ll be here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd do you reckon he\u2019ll let Adam, you and me keep running this place? It won\u2019t be long before he\u2019ll be ordering us around, and making decisions and such.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI guess, no matter who Ma marries, we\u2019d have to accept that would happen. It\u2019s the natural order of things, after all.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWal, I ain\u2019t wanting to be ordered about by the likes of David Carter.\u201d Hoss smacked one fist into the open palm of his other hand with such force that Joe winced.<\/p>\n Again they were silent for a while, and then Joe grinned, his eyes sparkled.<\/p>\n \u201cHoss, I\u2019ve got an idea.\u201d<\/p>\n Chapter 10<\/p>\n The solicitor methodically he leafed through files until he pulled one out and looked over at Adam as though to say, \u2018this is it\u2019. He returned to his seat with the file in his hand, and sat down.<\/p>\n \u201cDidn\u2019t we go through all this after Ben\u2019s death?\u201d he asked, opening the file carefully.<\/p>\n \u201cProbably, but I don\u2019t think we really took much of what was said in at the time.\u201d Adam sighed, and crossed one leg over the other, \u201cI really want to have verification of what is ours and what is Marie\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, family dispute is there?\u201d the old grey eyes widened with interest. Like many old people James loved gossip.<\/p>\n \u201cOh no, nothing like that,\u201d Adam smiled briefly and shrugged, \u201cIt\u2019s just that \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThings change all the time,\u201d James said with a sigh, \u201cAnd it has been twelve years. For a woman like Marie, it must have seemed far longer.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you mean by that , Mr Cooper?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy, lad, haven\u2019t you eyes in your head to see for yourself? She\u2019s a lovely lady, and the kind of woman that needs a man in her life. It\u2019s no wonder she\u2019s taken up with that Carter feller.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou know about Marie\u2019s -,\u201d he paused and sighed again, \u201cMarie\u2019s romance?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMost of town do, young feller.\u201d Cooper smiled, \u201cHe\u2019s a good looking man, and charming. Comes from the same neck of the woods as your step.mother, so they probably know folks from back there. A common interest makes for a bond of sorts.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd do the people of this good town anticipate a marriage?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey certainly do,\u201d James nodded and his eyes twinkled, \u201cMost just want Marie to be happy. She\u2019s not just lovely to look at, after all, but a darn fine woman as well.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam nodded, and stared at the file that remained unopened on the desk,<\/p>\n \u201cAnd, what about Mr Carter? Do the townsfolk reckon on him being a darn fine man as well?\u201d he asked, a touch of sarcasm in his voice.<\/p>\n \u201cNot many know him that well, Adam. He\u2019s been here, what? A year? But what we do know is that he\u2019s a decent enough chap. Doesn\u2019t drink too much, doesn\u2019t gamble. My wife likes him.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam cleared his throat, and wanted to say that Mrs Cooper\u2019s ability to judge characters was not, in itself, the most reliable reference anyone could be given. He leaned forwards,<\/p>\n \u201cDo you trust him?\u201d<\/p>\n Cooper frowned, and looked at the younger man thoughtfully,<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve no reason not to trust him, after all, he is a banker. The Manager at that\u2026\u201d he paused, \u201cIs this the reason you want to check on this file?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf Marie marries Carter, I want to know for sure how my brothers and I stand with regards to possession of the Ponderosa. Look, Mr Cooper, we have lost blood, and shed blood, to keep the Ponderosa safe from all manner of crooks. I don\u2019t want to be half killing myself protecting the back door, when opening the front door to the biggest crook that could have ever lived.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s strong language, young man. Be careful now.\u201d Cooper looked anxiously at Adam, and wondered if he should caution him about the laws of slander.<\/p>\n \u201cCould you please check the file, Mr Cooper?\u201d<\/p>\n James nodded, and opened the file. Several sheets of paper, some with Bens writing on it, were glanced at and put to one side. Then James looked up with a frown,<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s strange, I\u2019m sure I had the documents here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPa did make a will then?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course he did, didn\u2019t I just say so? I was checking it out only the other day for some reason or another. It must be here somewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy would you be checking out the will? Was someone else making enquiries about it? Did you show it to anyone else? Who?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo one asked about the Will. I had the file out for some other reason altogether. Marie wanted to have some information and I had to get several files out of the drawer and put them all on the desk here. This file wasn\u2019t even opened when Marie was here, I just flicked it open myself as a matter of curiosity.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut now it\u2019s disappeared?\u201d<\/p>\n James nodded, and then got up and made a hurried scramble through the other files in the cabinet. He finally gave up and shook his head,<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s a mystery.\u201d he muttered.<\/p>\n \u201cCould anyone have come into the office while the file was on the desk? \u201c<\/p>\n \u201cWho else would be interested in your father\u2019s files, for goodness\u2019 sake.\u201d James snapped, \u201cI had very few customers that day if I recall correctly. Your mother and ..\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, your step-mother came with someone else. A young woman.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWho was?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know. A pretty girl. Very much like Marie to look at in fact, but I didn\u2019t get the name.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam bit his bottom lip. Without a word he rose to his feet and placed his hat slowly upon his head. Well, at least he knew Ben had made a Will, but then he knew that anyway, the important thing to know was whether he had signed it, and had two witnesses to confirm the signature. Now he was left with yet another mystery as to why Marie would visit Cooper about Ben\u2019s business, with a young woman \u2026 as yet, unnamed.<\/p>\n He bade the older man good bye and left the building. It had been a most miserable day. He stepped out into the sunlight and glanced up and down the street. At least one mystery would be solved pretty quickly, and that was the name of the woman with Marie. All he had to do was ask her the name of her companion, and she would surely provide it. But what then?<\/p>\n Chapter 11 Hoss longed to be able to slip back to how it had been but the spectre of David Carter hung heavy in his mind, no matter how hard he tried to shake it off. He ate slowly, a man deep in thought, and sad at heart.<\/p>\n Joe was busy with his plan. Working it through in his mind and struggling to forestall any shortcomings that could exist. Of course bringing in someone else into the situation could cause a problem or two, but he was confident that he could sweet talk the other party into compliance. That evening he found the food unappealing, and every time he looked up at his mother and saw the way she kept looking at them his heart tightened. He could sense her unease, but could not find the words to make the way easier for her to initiate a conversation.<\/p>\n Adam ate his meal like a man who had no appetite for food at all. He pushed food around the plate, crumbled the bread into pieces while he stared into space, caught Marie\u2019s eyes upon him several times and attempted a half hearted smile. But his mind was too full of problems to make light conversation. He knew if he opened his mouth he could say things that would be instantly regrettable and cause, perhaps, unnecessary hurt.<\/p>\n Marie, looking at the three men, felt as though David Carter was suddenly out of her reach. She loved these \u2018boys\u2019, she loved Hoss and Adam differently to how she felt for here own flesh and blood, that was obvious, but the love she had for them was intense. They were Ben\u2019s sons, and they had shared her life long enough for her to do anything she could to make them happy. Once or twice she almost told them that she would not see David Carter any more, but then she would remember the touch of his lips upon hers, and the things they had spoken about, the promises already made to each other.<\/p>\n She longed for the meal to end every bit as much as did the three young men sharing the table with her.<\/p>\n ******** He sighed contentedly. Life had its ups and downs, and at times he had struggled to maintain the standard of life into which he had been born, and to which he had become accustomed. But now, yes, he could congratulate himself.<\/p>\n The light tap on the door startled him at first. He had not been expecting any visitor. He rose to his feet and walked across the room. As he passed the mirror he caught a glimpse of his reflection, and smiled smugly. He was still a handsome man despite his age, and he was slim and healthy. He was younger than Ben Cartwright would have been had he lived. Still smiling, he opened the door.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are you doing here?\u201d he exclaimed, \u201cI thought I told you never to call here at my home.\u201d<\/p>\n The young woman standing in the doorway blinked, surprised at the vehemence of his words. She stepped back and shook her head, then tilted her chin determinedly,<\/p>\n \u201cWhy shouldn\u2019t I come to see you, David?\u201d Evie stepped forwards and crossed the threshold, then pushed the door shut behind her. \u201cWhy shouldn\u2019t I?\u201d<\/p>\n Carter said nothing, then took her elbow and led her into the room. He looked at her and smiled, gentling his features as he gazed at her,<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Evie. I was rude and I apologise. Sit down here and make yourself comfortable while I get you a drink.\u201d<\/p>\n She relaxed and sat down, slipping off her shawl as she did so. Like many women she used the time to gaze about her, noticing the possessions the man displayed on the walls, the personal clues to his personality that women pick up almost sub-consciously. She took the drink he proffered her and smiled up at him,<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a lovely room, David.\u201d she sipped the wine and sighed again, \u201cDid I do well, the other day? Did I get you the right papers?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou did very well.\u201d David sat down in the chair opposite to her, and drew it closer, \u201cI had the chance to look through some other papers at the Ponderosa today. I know it has been said they own a thousand square miles of land, but it isn\u2019t until you actually see it in writing that you realise the enormity of their possessions.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAll that land, and the gold and silver in those hills. Did the Will help at all?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt confirmed what Marie had already told me, although when I spoke to her about it today -,\u201d he paused, recalling the conversation and the reason for it, Adam\u2019s interference.<\/p>\n \u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, it doesn\u2019t matter.\u201d he frowned thoughtfully, and began to consider just how much he should tell the girl. True, she had been useful, and he was fond of her, very fond of her, in fact.<\/p>\n \u201cDid – did your other plan work out alright? You know, the wedding plans you had?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh yes,\u201d David leaned back against the chair,, \u201cOh yes, that went very well. Marie has agreed to become my wife and the date is set for three weeks time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs she happy about it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, very happy.\u201d he looked at her approvingly, \u201cIt was a good idea of yours to become acquainted with her, as a friend, that could prove very useful in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d like to think so,\u201d Evie laughed, light heartedly. \u201cSo, everything is going well? No problems?\u201d<\/p>\n David Carter returned to his previous memory of the day, of Adam walking in, and the way, the scathing insolent way, the young pup had spoken to him, he scowled deeply,<\/p>\n \u201cOne big problem. Adam Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n Evie laughed out loud at the statement and set down her glass before she spilled it,<\/p>\n \u201cOh David, I told you earlier that you would have problems with him. Adam Cartwright is one of the most stubborn men you could ever wish to meet. Goodness me, if he has set himself against you then you will have the devil\u2019s own job to get him to change his mind.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s obsessed.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, he isn\u2019t the only one, is he?\u201d she replied, still smiling up at him.<\/p>\n \u201cThe problem isn\u2019t just him though, it\u2019s the influence he has over his brothers. Where he leads, they\u2019ll follow. They\u2019ve looked to him as their guardian for so long they can\u2019t think for themselves now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, I don\u2019t know. Joe can be pretty stubborn himself if he wants to be\u2026\u201d she picked up her glass and looked over the rim at him, \u201cI know Joe very well.\u201d she smiled slowly, \u201cVery well indeed.\u201d<\/p>\n He looked at her thoughtfully and caught the look in her eyes. Well, he thought, this could be one way to get around a problem, although there was another way, a more permanent way of removing Mr Adam Cartwright from the scene. He rubbed his temple with his forefinger as he considered what next to do.<\/p>\n Chapter 12 Each evening since Ben\u2019s death Adam had continued with these chores alone. Now there were timber contracts to be drawn up, discussed and considered. Hoss was the man to deal with these and everything Ben had shown Adam had since been passed on to Hoss. Ben had started a line of business with the horses and the army outposts on the borders of the territory. This Adam had passed on to Joe, quite recently, for the boy had developed a passion for the horse hunts and enjoyed being allowed some responsibility in the running of the ranch from that angle.<\/p>\n Of course, at the end of it all the accounts would have to be passed onto Adam who would diligently work them into the ledgers and write any necessary letters. It was time consuming work and at the end of days of hard physical labours took self discipline to accomplish.<\/p>\n Often during the evenings as he toiled over the paperwork, Marie would come down the stairs and slip into the kitchen to make a hot drink for them both. Then they would share a pleasurable hour discussing various aspects of the past events, of the current work load and other problems that would or could come to mind.<\/p>\n He raised his head when he heard the familiar creak of a stair, and looked upon the sight of Marie coming carefully down the stairs with a candle guttering in her hand.<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t mind, do you?\u201d she asked softly, standing on the half landing and looking down at him.<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t usually ask?\u201d he replied with a smile, for she looked so young in the light of the single flame, that it touched him to look upon her like it.<\/p>\n Reassured by the kindliness of his smile, Marie made her way to the desk and set the candle down, pulled out a chair and sat opposite to him.<\/p>\n \u201cAdam?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Ma?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou haven\u2019t called me that for a long time,\u201d she said, very softly.<\/p>\n \u201cI wasn\u2019t sure you\u2019d want a man of my age calling you that,\u201d Adam smiled again, and put down his pen, \u201cDo you want to talk to me about David Carter?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I do.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen, go ahead.\u201d he released a sigh, as though the inevitable had come, and involuntarily he raised his eyes over her shoulder to the portrait of his father.<\/p>\n \u201cAdam, David could be such an asset here. Look at how hard you work? This is what he does for a living. It would be so easy for him to handle all these things for you. It would ease your work load so much.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sure it would,\u201d Adam replied quietly, thinking of what pleasure it would give Carter to hear Marie pleading his cause for him like this, \u201cBut -.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know. I understand. I really do, Adam. You\u2019ve been doing this for so long, it\u2019s become second nature to you. I can quite see how you may feel that David could be usurping your place, but really, what would he be doing that a good efficient secretary could be hired to do instead?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf he were your husband, Marie, he would be more involved that a secretary, no matter how efficient a secretary may be.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know that too. It\u2019s difficult,\u201d she paused and sighed, her long hair in its braid fell across her shoulder and reached her waist. It was as luxuriant now as the day Ben had first met her. \u201cAdam, can\u2019t you see that it would work?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sure it would,\u201d Adam replied slowly, looking down at the ledgers before him.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been twelve years, my dear, and time to move on. You can\u2019t live your life as though he were going to walk through the door at any moment and expect to find the ledgers perfectly done, or the cattle totally branded. It\u2019s time to \u2026 to take the opportunity to change.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam sighed again, and picked up the pen which he turned and twisted between his fingers thoughtfully,<\/p>\n \u201cIs that what you think I do? That all this is because I have a feeling that Pa will walk back into our lives again? After twelve years?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, no, I didn\u2019t mean it literally. How could he?\u201d<\/p>\n They said nothing for a moment but looked down at the desk as though searching for another way out of the conversation.<\/p>\n \u201cAdam, I didn\u2019t realise your father had discussed your going to college with you. That was a surprise.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPa was talking to me about it the morning he was killed. It seemed irrelevant to mention it after that\u2026\u201d his voice trailed away and once again he glanced over at the portrait. Ben\u2019s eyes seemed alive in the painted facsimile of him, as though he were there, watching. Perhaps, just a trick of the dying fire?<\/p>\n \u201cHe wanted it so much for you. We had made such plans and discussed where you might like to have gone. It was so unfortunate that you never achieved that dream for you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLife doesn\u2019t always work out as we would like it, as you know.\u201d Adam frowned slightly, \u201cWhat does this have to do with Carter?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNothing I suppose.\u201d Marie sighed, and looked at him again, \u201cI love David, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI guess so, as you intend to marry him.\u201d there was a slight edge to his voice now, and he bit his bottom lip, \u201cAre you sure he loves you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAs sure as any woman can be. Of course I can\u2019t love him as I loved Ben, just as I couldn\u2019t love Ben as I loved Jean, but\u2026I do love him, and he\u2019s asked me to marry him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd you\u2019ve accepted?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes. The wedding is in three weeks time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThree weeks?\u201d Adam\u2019s brow furrowed, and he looked at her as though disbelieving what she had said, \u201cDoes Joe know?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI wanted you to know first.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy? He\u2019s your son.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, but he follows your lead, Adam. If he knows that you accept David, and that you have no objection to the marriage, then he\u2019ll be quite happy with it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJoe does know his own mind, you know?\u201d Adam responded curtly, \u201cAnd no matter what I say about this wedding, I think you may find Joe has very definite ideas about him for himself.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou mean, he\u2019ll object?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, he\u2019ll object. You\u2019re his mother. Suddenly you expect him to share you with someone he doesn\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd doesn\u2019t like?\u201d she said softly, her eyes brimming with tears.<\/p>\n Adam said nothing but got out of the chair and walked to her side, pulling out a handkerchief as he did so, which he thrust into her hand. He squatted down beside her and took hold of one hand as she dabbed at her eyes with the other.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t cry, Ma, don\u2019t cry,\u201d he said softly, looking at her with his eyes soft with affection for her, \u201cWe only want you to be happy, surely you must know that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut I want for all of us to be happy, Adam\u201d she replied in a stammering voice, trying to hold back the tears, \u201cI don\u2019t want to be sitting at a table with those I love and feel \u2026 oh, so shut out and unhappy with everyone hating and distrusting each other.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut, dearest Ma, David Carter has done nothing to make us feel to we can trust him. He may love you, but -.\u201d he paused, holding back on words that could ruin the harmony that now existed between them. He stroked her hand and then reached out and touched her cheek, gently wiping away her tears.<\/p>\n How odd, he thought, this woman is not my mother, and I have lived in this house with her all these years, and only now do I realise how much I love her.<\/p>\n \u201cMarie, don\u2019t cry. It\u2019ll work out alright, in the end, you\u2019ll see.\u201d he said quietly and got to his feet, leaned forward and kissed her on her forehead, as any good son would do. It wasn\u2019t so far to Ben\u2019s grave. He dismounted at a short distance and walked towards the mound beneath which his father lay his eternal sleep. He looked down and with a sigh placed his hand upon the headstone. The townsfolk of Virginia City had wanted to have a grand marble tombstone erected, but they had refused it, preferring instead a humble slab of rock from the soil of the Ponderosa. Pa had been like a rock to them, and the earth in which he now slept was Ponderosa soil, so such a humble headstone was far more fitting for such a man as he had been.<\/p>\n Now he was here he didn\u2019t know why he had come. He couldn\u2019t think of words to say that couldn\u2019t and hadn\u2019t been said over and over again in his mind. He took off his hat and the darkness swallowed him up in its embrace so that no one would have known he even existed. He felt as though he had disappeared into eternity itself for no sound could be heard and nothing could be seen.<\/p>\n \u201cOh God, what do I do?\u201d he suddenly exclaimed, \u201cI can\u2019t hurt Marie. I can\u2019t let her marry a man who will hurt her? Oh Pa, Pa, why did you have to die and leave us ?\u201d he put a hand to his mouth, and pressed his fingers against his lips as though to hold back the torrent of words that were now piling up to spill out. His eyes filled with tears. Twelve years? Oh for heaven\u2019s sake, it might as well have been twelve hours, twelve minutes \u2026 what did time matter? They all still ached for their father, and although life went on, it did so, differently.<\/p>\n He knelt beside the grave now and felt with his fingers for the familiar words that had been carved upon the headstone. Like a blind man he groped for them, found them, traced them out.<\/p>\n He remembered standing behind his Pa, holding a silly hat, while Pa had grieved beside the humble grave of his wife, Inger. He recalled how he had felt when Pa had married Marie, who had come home smiling and laughing with no knowledge of that faraway grave, that simple little monument that they had abandoned only a few years earlier. He thought back on how happy Ben had become, how young and excited and exhilarated he had been by his new wife.<\/p>\n It had been an odd transition. The eleven year old boy, so old for his years, so grave, had loved the happiness Marie had brought to the family. Her warmth had drawn him to her like a moth to a flame. Ben had said that with Marie it was springtime every day of the year. And so it had been. But evenso, at times the child had remembered the way he had felt standing behind his father as they said their final farewells to Inger. And he had missed her so much. There were times when he had felt disloyal to sweet, gentle Inger and angry with Ben for forgetting her so quickly. At those times he had not been as considerate of Marie\u2019s feelings as he should have been.<\/p>\n But Ben had never forgotten Inger, anymore than he could forget Elizabeth. As Adam grew into manhood so father and son would talk, exchange confidences, console one another, just as they had all those years before, when they had just been together, the two of them. And Ben had told him how he loved Elizabeth still, and Inger also, because when you loved it didn\u2019t come to an end, just because one died.<\/p>\n Now Adam recalled the day Ben had opened the big family bible, and turned the pages to the words of the Song of Solomon, chapter 8.<\/p>\n \u201cHere, son, read this,\u201d he had said, pointing to the words with his forefinger, \u201cRead it aloud so you get the sense of the words.\u201d<\/p>\n How old had he been then? Oh maybe fourteen years, and Joe had been a baby in the cradle coo-ing contentedly, and Hoss was carving with a blunt knife a piece of old wood.<\/p>\n \u201cSet me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death: jealousy is cruel as the grave: coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam Cartwright returned to his horse and remounted it, and beneath his breath he repeated the words he had read out all those years ago. By the time he had reached the stable and was leading Sport back to his stall, he knew he had only three weeks in which to prove to Marie Cartwright that David Carter could never be her husband. He also knew that if he were unable to prove that, then he would have to leave the Ponderosa. \u201cWell?\u201d \u201cIt\u2019s coming along alright. You know what Hop Sings always saying\u2026slowly, slowly, catchee monkey.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHuh?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt means, be patient. That\u2019s all.\u201d he raised his glass to his lips and drank a long draught of beer, wiped his lips dry and crooked an eyebrow, \u201cLet\u2019s say, Hoss, that it\u2019s gently simmering.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIn your head or have you actually done anything about it?\u201d Hoss cradled his glass between his hands and stared mournfully at their reflection in the mirror.<\/p>\n \u201cBoth. It can\u2019t be hurried. It takes time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat means you ain\u2019t done nothing\u2019 about it, ain\u2019t I right?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, you aren\u2019t.\u201d Joe snapped crossly. He swallowed down more beer, \u201cThere\u2019s plenty of time yet.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI thought you said,\u201d Hoss paused and then lowered his voice, \u201cI thought you said you had it all worked out for the Town Social on Saturday evening.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd I thought I said be patient,\u201d Joe replied peevishly. Why did Hoss have to be in a hurry about everything. He hunched his shoulders and turned his back on his brother who sighed heavily and hunched his shoulders and turned away also.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong with you two?\u201d Adam asked as he elbowed his way between the two of them, and signalled to Hank for a glass and some beer, \u201cDisagreed about something – again?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d they both exclaimed in unison.<\/p>\n \u201cMmmm.\u201d Adam twitched his shoulders, and nodded, he didn\u2019t need to ask further, he knew them both too well.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s just that, well, we\u2019ve got to do something to stop Ma from marrying Carter. Right?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam glanced from one to the other, swallowed a gulp, and nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, and Joe has come up with a real doozie of an idea.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe has?\u201d Adam ran the tip of his tongue over his bottom lip, something Hoss had noticed his brother doing when he was feeling signs of panic.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, but don\u2019t tell anyone.\u201d Joe hissed.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat exactly do you have in mind, Joe?\u201d Adam flipped a coin over to Hank and drew the glass towards him, he picked it up as though to form a protective barrier between himself and whatever Joe was about to reveal to him.<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t tell you yet, Adam. It\u2019s still in the – er – stewing stage.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat means he ain\u2019t done nothing about it as yet,\u201d Hoss scowled, \u201cAnd we\u2019re running out of time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Adam sighed, \u201cYou can say that again.\u201d<\/p>\n He turned and nodded a greeting to Paul Martin who had just entered the saloon. Ross Marquette was talking earnestly to Ken Marlow, so he excused himself from his brothers and strolled over to them. Hoss frowned, and stood closer to Joe,<\/p>\n \u201cHe didn\u2019t seem much interested, did he?\u201d he hissed into Joe\u2019s ear.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, he always under-estimated the power of a superior brain.\u201d Joe replied nonchalantly.<\/p>\n \u201cWhose brain is that then?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHoss, don\u2019t try being witty, it doesn\u2019t work.\u201d Joe replied and put down his empty glass, wiped his mouth on the back of his hand. \u201cCome on, there\u2019s work to be done.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI came in here to get out of doing any work for the next few hours.\u201d Hoss sighed.<\/p>\n \u201cNot that kind of work,\u201d Joe hissed, and grabbed his brother by the sleeve to indicate that it was time for Hoss to abandon the saloon and follow him.<\/p>\n Outside they stood together in the baking sun and looked up and down the street,<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are we looking for?\u201d Hoss asked anxiously.<\/p>\n \u201cNot what, who!\u201d Joe explained impatiently.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, right. Who are we looking for?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe shook his head and heaved a sigh, then turned to his brother and looked him right in the eyes,<\/p>\n \u201cHow am I supposed to pull this off if you don\u2019t keep up with me on it, Hoss? You keep asking questions and you ain\u2019t doing nothing. Now, keep looking.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss opened his mouth, then closed it again. Perhaps, somewhere between walking into the saloon and drinking that beer, he had missed something. He sighed, turned and leaned against the wall. Watching.<\/p>\n \u201cHi, Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n The voice caught Joe unawares and he flinched in surprise, then smiled. Gallantly he slipped off his hat,<\/p>\n \u201cOh, hello, Evie. How are you today?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m well thank you. Hello, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHowdy, Miss Evie.\u201d Hoss touched the brim of his hat, and then lowered it a little to shade his eyes. Vigilence was essential.<\/p>\n \u201cHow\u2019s your mother, Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s very well, thank you, Evie. How\u2019s your Ma?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, as usual. You know?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe said nothing but nodded pleasantly. Evie\u2019s mother suffered from nerves, severe nerves. The medicine she took for her nerves seemed to do little to help her, but kept her housebound most of the time. Everyone was too polite to mention the fact that gin was not exactly renowned for its curative powers.<\/p>\n \u201cIs it right what I\u2019ve been hearing, Joe, about your mother and Mr Carter?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, I don\u2019t know, Evie. Just what have you been hearing?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, he\u2019s taking her to the social on Saturday for a start.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs he now?\u201d Joe raised himself erect and thrust out his chin, \u201cWell, I wouldn\u2019t be too sure about that, if I were you.\u201d and he smiled and tapped the side of his nose and winked.<\/p>\n \u201cReally?\u201d Evie opened her eyes wide in surprise and looked at Hoss who gravely nodded and tapped the side of his nose as well. He didn\u2019t wink though. \u201cWell, I guess I must have misheard. Still, it sounds like it will be great fun. I guess I shall just hear about it though.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow do you mean?\u201d Joe frowned, and looked at her. She was a real pretty girl, was Evie. Nice shape, slim and willowy with curves where they should be, and with her thick curly hair falling about her shoulders.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, you know how it is, Joe. A girl can\u2019t go to the town social without an escort. She\u2019d be considered \u2026 you know?\u201d and she lowered her eyelashes coyly.<\/p>\n Joe refrained from saying that it hadn\u2019t stopped her attending in the past, but swallowed hard, before snapping his fingers as though the solution had just popped into his head, which, in fact, it had.<\/p>\n \u201cHow\u2019s about I take you, Evie? I\u2019d sure be pleased to escort you to the social if you\u2019d not mind?\u201d<\/p>\n Evie opened her eyes wide as though caught by complete surprise, then she simpered a little and lowered her head before nodding,<\/p>\n \u201cOh Joe, that would be lovely. Are you sure you weren\u2019t – well – going to take anyone else?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I\u2019ve been too busy to think about it.\u201d Joe replied, which was quite true. His mind had been so occupied with the \u2018plan\u2019 that he hadn\u2019t thought about asking any of the girls in town for a date. He looked at Hoss,<\/p>\n \u201cHave you thought of whom to take, Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNope, I\u2019ve been too busy.\u201d Hoss replied, which was true. He was a hard working young man who didn\u2019t really stop to think about girls, and dates, and socials. He just tended to turn up and hoped for the best.<\/p>\n \u201cWell then ..\u201d Evie simpered, \u201cI\u2019ll see you at my house about 7 o\u2019clock, Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure will. Thank you, Evie.\u201d<\/p>\n Evie smiled at them both, and strolled away to her house, to where her mother slept sprawled drunkenly across the unmade, unkempt bed in a musty smelling, dusty room strewn with discarded clothes. In her own spotless pristine room Evie unbuttoned her jacket and hung it carefully in the wardrobe. She hummed a tune to herself and smiled at her reflection in the mirror. Everything was working out perfectly. Her \u2018plan\u2019 had already passed stage one.<\/p>\n Joe\u2019s \u2018plan\u2019 was still stuck on the landing stage.<\/p>\n ******* He had loved Marie from afar for years but after a few years from Ben\u2019s death he plucked up courage from somewhere to approach her and take her to the town spring fete. For several months he turned up at the Ponderosa at regular intervals to escort her to whatever social function was going on in town, and several times, to enjoy her company at home.<\/p>\n Folk in town began to speculate that there was an oncoming marriage between the two of them, and upon getting an idea of this speculation, Marie stopped the friendship developing any further. Matt was a good friend, but her heart belonged to her Ben, nothing and no one could change that \u2026 not then, anyway.<\/p>\n He was a handsome man, with rugged good looks, bright blue eyes, and a wide generous mouth that quite rightly indicated a kindly generous soul. He was a quiet soul, proven by the fact that his isolation had not seemed to bother him one bit. He obviously enjoyed his own company for apart from Marie, he had never ventured to court any other woman since his wife had died 15 years earlier in childbirth.<\/p>\n He wiped his hands on some red cloth and strode out of the barn to greet the two horsemen as they galloped into his yard. Chickens squawked and scurried to get out of the way and the dog at the end of a long chain nearly choked itself to death trying to reach them. Hoss and Joe dismounted, tethered the horses and took off their hats,<\/p>\n \u201cHowdy, Mr Fraser.\u201d Hoss nodded over to Matt and smiled widely.<\/p>\n \u201cHot day, sir.\u201d Joe said, nodding up at the sun as though it alone could testify to the truth of this statement.<\/p>\n \u201cIt certainly is, come on in, boys, out of the sun. I\u2019ve coffee on the brew, if you\u2019re interested.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss and Joe exchanged looks for it was commonly known that Matt Fraser\u2019s coffee could strip paint off walls. Hoss sighed, and nodded gamely. For Marie .. Anything!<\/p>\n They pulled out chairs and sat down, Joe gave Matt the benefit of one of his largest smiles. Matt smiled back. For some reason, probably due to his isolation, Matt had still to realise that Joe and his smiles were to treated with some caution.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, how are things with you, Sir? Everything going well?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Joe.\u201d Matt poured out coffee into three mugs and placed them on the table, then he sat down and looked at them both, \u201cWhy the visit? Haven\u2019t seen you two here for some while.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry about that,\u201d Joe frowned as though chiding himself for his lack of consideration, \u201cLife\u2019s been busy since Pa died.\u201d<\/p>\n Matt narrowed his eyes, Joe had been five coming on six when Ben died, how busy did a kid have to be not to visit until he was seventeen.<\/p>\n \u201cI came two years ago last spring,\u201d Hoss ventured.<\/p>\n \u201cS\u2019right, so you did. That thar bull you brung me was no good.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo good?\u201d Hoss frowned, \u201cSure am sorry about that, what was wrong with it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust about everything. But let\u2019s not talk about that, otherwise it\u2019ll put me off my coffee.\u201d Matt frowned even more deeply than Hoss, \u201cSo, what brings you here? First off – how\u2019s your Ma?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh,\u201d Joe widened his eyes, \u201cYou\u2019ve hit the nail square on the head, Sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSomething wrong?\u201d Matt looked anxious, \u201cIs she alright?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s missing Pa a whole lot, Sir. Time doesn\u2019t always heal, you know?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh, I know what you mean.\u201d Matt stared down into his mug. \u201cShe\u2019s a lovely woman, your mother.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThing is, she was thinking of going to the town social this Saturday, but there just isn\u2019t anyone around to take her.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI thought there would be a whole line of men wanting to take her.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, there is actually, just between you and me.\u201d Joe agreed, \u201cBut my Ma, she\u2019s kinda particular about who she goes with, do you know what I mean?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, sure. She\u2019s always been like that, ever since I knew her first.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe sure wanted to go on Saturday, didn\u2019t she, Hoss?\u201d he kicked his brother on the ankle as Hoss looked as though he had gone into a private day dream of his own, Hoss nodded and sighed.<\/p>\n \u201cHmmmm,\u201d Matt frowned, \u201cShe sure is a mighty fine looking woman.\u201d he repeated thoughtfully, \u201cBut, I tried courting her once before, you remember?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, this isn\u2019t as serious as courting, Sir. It\u2019s just escorting. That\u2019s a whole different thing altogether, ain\u2019t it, Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure is.\u201d Hoss replied, forgetting himself he took a swig of the coffee, and struggled to swallow it.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll do it.\u201d Matt rose up to his full height, and squared his shoulders, \u201cI\u2019ll come by and collect your Ma and take her to the social. You\u2019re sure there ain\u2019t no one else taking her?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPositive.\u201d Joe replied, standing up also, and putting out his hand, which Matt took and shook warmly.<\/p>\n \u201cI sure am glad you boys came on round. Shows you how it\u2019s not fitting to listen to town gossip after all.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat town gossip is that, Sir?\u201d Joe asked politely, as he walked towards Cochise.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, that your Mother was getting married in three weeks time.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe went slightly pale, paused, steadied himself and then smiled widely. Under the shadow of his hat no one could see the smile had not reached his eyes,<\/p>\n \u201cThere – just shows.\u201d he gulped.<\/p>\n They mounted their horses and with a wave of their hands rode out of the yard. Matt Fraser watched them go. He rubbed his hands with anticipation and pleasure. It was about time things in his life had begun to change for the better.<\/p>\n Joe\u2019s plan had been launched! Evie leaned towards the mirror and examined her face carefully. The ear rings and necklace matched perfectly, and the artfully painted make up made her look several years older than her twenty years. She felt a tingle of excitement as she always did when about to meet David. These clandestine meetings may not have led to anything immoral but she had certainly benefited as these handsome pieces of jewellery testified. Evie was a girl who believed in living for the moment, yet planned ahead for the future. She smiled to her reflection in the mirror.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere are you going? Is it a man? Is it?\u201d<\/p>\n The slurred voice of her mother startled her, and she turned to placate her. There were times when her mother could lose control and start screaming, which alerted the neighbours. That would mean not seeing David and she knew already that David did not like his plans to be upset.<\/p>\n \u201cMama, be calm, please. I\u2019m just going out for a walk.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA walk? All dressed up like that? You shouldn\u2019t bother. Men aren\u2019t interested in nice girls, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy not go back to bed. Try to sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSleep? Isn\u2019t that what I do all the time? Go to bed, sleep, she says. When have I been able to go out and take a walk all dressed up ?\u201d \u201cOnce I had everything. It all went wrong. All of it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know, I know. Hush now. Go to sleep. I shall be back soon.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t go out, Evie. Don\u2019t go and leave me alone again.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI must. But when I come back I shall tell you all about what has happened today. Good news, Mama. You\u2019ll like it.\u201d she smiled like a child at the woman who slumped down now upon the bed.<\/p>\n \u201cI had everything once. Then it all went wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n Evie hurried down the stairs. She had heard this litany often enough. Soon she knew her mother would sleep. Time was speeding by, and David did not like to be kept waiting.<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n \u201cYou look very nice this evening. The necklace suits you,\u201d David Carter eyed her appraisingly as he handed her a glass of wine.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you,\u201d she replied and settled back into her chair. It was strange, she thought, but she couldn\u2019t work out why he kept making these clandestine meetings when all they did was drink wine, and talk. However, she fingered the jewels around her neck and smiled, she should not complain, not really. \u201cThey are beautiful. Thank you for giving them to me.\u201d<\/p>\n He smiled and felt pleased. He was not a generous man by nature but liked to be given credit for the times when he was,<\/p>\n \u201cSo, tell me, what have you been doing with yourself all day?\u201d he asked, and sat down opposite her.<\/p>\n \u201cAh,\u201d she smiled, and leaned forward, \u201cToday I put the first step of my plan in to action. Joeseph Cartwright is going to be my escort to the social on Saturday.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReally?\u201d David frowned, and shrugged, as though he didn\u2019t consider that anything to get unduly excited about.<\/p>\n \u201cReally.\u201d she laughed, a low chuckle of satisfaction that made her little face look like that of a kitten who had discovered her first bowl of cream. \u201cWell, with you getting married to Mrs Cartwright very soon I knew you couldn\u2019t escort me there, so I thought I\u2019d ask Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd so, what are the next steps in your plan?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh, that\u2019s what is so funny. You see, I intend to become your step-daughter-in -law. Now, don\u2019t you think that funny?\u201d and she laughed, a good hearty laugh that resulted in her slopping some wine over her fingers and spilling drops onto her dress.<\/p>\n \u201cYou intend to marry Joseph Cartwright?\u201d he intoned, narrowing his eyes and surveying her with just a hint of contempt in his face, and the thin lips curled over his teeth as though he found the whole idea preposterous.<\/p>\n \u201cYes. Well, aren\u2019t I as good as anyone else? When we were at school together Joe was always chasing after me. \u2018Evie, do you want me to carry your books?\u2019\u2019Evie, do you want some candy?\u2019 Everyone else had as little to do with me as possible, but Joe didn\u2019t seem to care -.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow do you mean? What didn\u2019t he seem to care about that everyone else did?\u201d David\u2019s voice was sharp and he leaned forward now, as though this new revelation from her made her doubly interesting to him.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople don\u2019t approve of children born outside of wed-lock, Mr Carter. Not that I\u2019ve anything to be ashamed of, because as far as I\u2019m concerned, I\u2019m just as good as anyone else. Some of those do gooders, going to church every Sunday, would have branded me with a big letter B if they had had their way. Well, marrying Joe would just put them in their place, that\u2019s for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n Carter leaned backed and surveyed her thoughtfully. Then he nodded, and smiled, and picked up his glass,<\/p>\n \u201cSo you\u2019ll be going to the social with Joseph Cartwright on Saturday. Well, my dear, there\u2019s something I would like you to do for me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs it to do with all those papers I got for you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSimilar to that, yes, something to do with them. All I want is for you to find out where Adam Cartwright will be during the week.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAdam? But I\u2019m not interested in Adam.\u201d she protested.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, my dear, I know you\u2019re not. But I am\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n ********<\/p>\n \u201cDid you know?\u201d Hoss asked Joe, as they rode away from Matt\u2019s homestead.<\/p>\n \u201cDo I look as though I did?\u201d Joe replied tautly, with his lips thinned across his teeth.<\/p>\n Hoss glanced hurriedly over at his brother, and shook his head,<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I guess you don\u2019t. Shucks, Joe, this is a mite awkward, ain\u2019t it? We\u2019ve just asked Matt to escort\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know, I know.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, you got any idea on how to get us out of this mess? I don\u2019t reckon David Carter\u2019s going to be any too pleased to find a neighbour of ours taking Ma to the social when he intends to himself!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy don\u2019t you try thinking up a few ideas yourself, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I would, but \u2026\u201d Hoss paused and dropped into silence. After a few moments had elapsed he shook his head, \u201cLook, Joe, Ma must love this guy a lot to be thinking of marrying him. Perhaps we should give him more of a chance. Get to know him a bit more.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGet to know him?\u201d Joe\u2019s voice was shrill, \u201cLook, Hoss, from the first moment I saw him he gave me the shivers. He makes me cringe and my flesh crawl. Haven\u2019t you ever met anyone who makes you feel like that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I guess so. Animals can be like that too. You jest got to look at one and you know it\u2019s dead trouble. A rogue bull or \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCarter\u2019s not exactly a rogue bull, but he\u2019s trouble, Hoss. I can sense it. I know it. I can\u2019t believe Ma could even think of marrying him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI told you, she must love him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut, Hoss, how could she love him after having been married to Pa? Why didn\u2019t she tell me that she was going to marry him in three weeks time?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, she didn\u2019t tell me either, nor Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe frowned, and swallowed a lump in his throat. Everything was going wrong. Very wrong. He said nothing more but urged Cochise to stretch his legs and get home sooner.<\/p>\n Chapter 13 How was it possible that Marie could not see what he, her own flesh and blood, could see so obviously? How could she profess to love the man? Did he even possess any qualities, any attributes at all?<\/p>\n He didn\u2019t want to discuss it with Hoss, and his brother, knowing Joe\u2019s nature so well, tactfully kept quiet. With the understanding borne of having lived with Joe so long, Hoss took Cochise\u2019s reins and led him into the stable along with Chubb. He knew only too well Joe\u2019s desire to be alone with his mother.<\/p>\n Marie was standing by the big window in that part of the room where they ate their meals at the big table. She had been arranging some flowers and even now stood dreamily holding some blooms in her hand. She wore a soft dove grey gown with white collar and cuffs and wore her hair caught up at the nape of her neck in a silky grey snood. She wore no adornments, no jewellery.<\/p>\n The light from the window was soft and kind, falling across her features in such a way as to blend in the shades and the highlights of her bone structure,so that to the on looker, she appeared younger in years than her actual age. Looking at her now Joe could see only too well what would have drawn a man like Ben Cartwright to her. In repose, like now, she looked beautiful. When she smiled and laughed she looked wonderful.<\/p>\n \u201cMa?\u201d<\/p>\n She turned slowly, as though it were a struggle to come from out of her dream world and back into reality. She sighed and put down the flowers upon the table, and walked towards him,<\/p>\n \u201cJoe? You look tired, darling? Have you had a hard day?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m fine, Ma. I\u2019m fine.\u201d he paused, seeing in her eyes the doubt that the way he had spoken had created. He glanced about him, \u201cAre we alone?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHop Sing\u2019s in the kitchen. Adam\u2019s down at Millers.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMa, I – I want to talk to you. Please.\u201d<\/p>\n Marie straightened her back, and smiled. She put out a hand and touched his face, gently, as though to reassure herself that this was her Joe. Her boy. Nothing Joe said or did could hurt her. She loved him and he loved her. There now, she smiled again and nodded,<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is it, my dear?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCan\u2019t we sit down?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course we can,\u201d she sat down immediately in the deep leather chair, and waited for him to settle himself and to speak. She could anticipate what was coming and frame her reply, but knew it was important for him to speak out first. Why rush and fall at the first hurdle?<\/p>\n \u201cMa, is it true what they\u2019re saying in town? That you\u2019re going to marry David Carter in three weeks time.\u201d<\/p>\n A frown furrowed her brow, and she pursed her lips in annoyance. Small town gossips. How could they have found out so soon?<\/p>\n \u201cDavid asked me to marry him. I\u2019ve accepted. If you would prefer us to wait, Joseph, then I\u2019ll tell David when I see him to-morrow.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut, Ma, why didn\u2019t you tell me? I found out from Matt Fraser of all people. He couldn\u2019t believe it either.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t you believe it, Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf you – I mean – if you say you are getting married then I guess I have to believe it. It\u2019s just that I didn\u2019t think you would inform the whole town without letting me know.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI haven\u2019t mentioned it to anyone.\u201d Marie replied tactfully, \u201cI don\u2019t know how they knew but it seems to me that the people in Virginia City always did manage to find out information about things before it actually happens.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh Ma,\u201d Joe slumped forward, his face in his hands, \u201cThis should be a happy time for you, but – but I can\u2019t help but think you\u2019re making a big mistake.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJoseph, David is a very kind man. He\u2019s considerate. He\u2019s\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMa, please, don\u2019t try and sell him to me. I don\u2019t know him. I\u2019ve only met him on a handful of occasions, and you are expecting me to accept him as my father?\u201d he shook his head miserably, \u201cI can\u2019t do that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou really mean that, Joe? You can\u2019t accept David as my husband? Even though I love him and want to marry him, you won\u2019t accept him?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh Ma,\u201d Joe groaned and looked away at the familiar things that were in the house. All the things he loved and knew and were part of the world with which he was so comfortable. He rubbed his brow, \u201cI want you to be happy more than anything in the world, but why David Carter, why not Matt Fraser for example?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2018t love Matt. He\u2019s a good friend, and was a good friend to your father, but I don\u2019t love him, nor care enough about him to consider loving him. I care about David.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut you hardly know him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s an old friend, Joe. He goes back to when I was a young girl and getting married to Jean. He loves me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, but, Ma, oh Ma, please don\u2019t marry him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNow you\u2019re talking like a child, Joseph. Look, I\u2019m prepared to post pone the wedding for a while, to let you all get to know him better. To get to respect him and see what a kind man he is. But this attitude you all have in telling me who I can or can not marry, no, I won\u2019t go along with that. I never would be dictated to in the past, and I certainly shall not be dictated to now, not even by you, Joseph.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAlright, then, tell me all you know about him. Tell me what he\u2019s done in his life, where he\u2019s been, and what brought him here? Tell me so that I can get to understand why you care so much about him.\u201d<\/p>\n For a moment it seemed as though Marie were going to lose her famous temper. She was fiery at times, especially when cornered, but she also loved her boy and could see that what he asked was only fair after all. She paused to think,<\/p>\n \u201cWell, he\u2019s New Orleans born, like myself and Jean, my first husband. He went to college with Jean, they were close friends. He met me on my wedding day.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJean never introduced you before then? Isn\u2019t that a bit unusual for a close friend not to put in an appearance earlier than his friends wedding day?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJoseph, you\u2019re being very unkind. I can only tell you what I know, and I am trying to do the best I can. He had been away to Europe and returned only to find that we were about to marry. He can\u2019t be in two places at once.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe sighed, shook his head, and said nothing.<\/p>\n \u201cNot long after we married, David married a young woman and they moved to Baton Rouge. His family were wealthy people, and he soon became prominent in the banking world. I don\u2019t know much about that part of his life, of course, but he had a good lifestyle there. Then his wife died in childbirth and for a while he was so distressed that he was unable to settle down to work or anything. He travelled. By the time he returned to New Orleans I had left to marry Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd what did he do?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe lived with his family. He worked hard. Eventually he became restless and decided to travel.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy come here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause he wanted to come here. He said the world seemed to be migrating to San Francisco and Virginia City. So he came along to see what was happening here. Then he accepted the position as Bank Manager here. Joe, if you wanted to know this you had only to ask him. There is no secret agenda in his life.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat does Adam say about it? I presume Adam knows?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes. He found out by accident.\u201d Marie replied, glancing away from her son, knowing that this would only add to the antagonism.<\/p>\n \u201cSo? What did he say about it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNothing. He just seemed to accept the fact that I must love David enough to want to marry him. He said nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s unusual for him,\u201d Joe said quietly, \u201cI guess he was just too shocked to think of anything to say.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJoe -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, Ma. Don\u2019t say anymore. I love you so much. You\u2019ve been the best mother in all the world and – and I know you love me. I want more than anything to say I\u2019m happy for you, because I want you to be happy. But something deep inside makes me feel that this is all wrong. He isn\u2019t the man for you, Ma.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd I suppose you know who is?\u201d Marie snapped, \u201cMatt Fraser for example? Is that who you think is good enough for me?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe said nothing to that but shook his head and got to his feet. He put his arms about her and held her close. His mother. The first woman he had ever loved. The only woman who had retained that love over the years. Then he turned and walked away.<\/p>\n ******** Joe looked over at him, and his lips tightened in exasperation.<\/p>\n \u201cYou knew about Ma and Carter, didn\u2019t you?\u201d he muttered in a voice choked with emotion.<\/p>\n \u201cNot long ago, Joe. I\u2019ve not seen you since to talk to about it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s there to say?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam said nothing, but extended a hand which Joe brushed aside impatiently,<\/p>\n \u201cLook, Joe, I think we need to talk.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s too late for talking. You had your chance and now it\u2019s too late.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe need to talk, Joe. You don\u2019t want Ma to be unhappy do you?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe looked over at his brother in surprise, for it had been some time since Adam had referred to Marie as Ma. His hazel eyes widened, and his features softened,<\/p>\n \u201cOf course I don\u2019t want Ma to be unhappy. If she marries Carter though, you can guarantee it that she will be.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo what do you intend to do about it? Ride into town and challenge him to a duel? Blow his brains out? Order him out of town?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe chewed on his bottom lip as he thought of the possibilities presented and the possible fallout as a result. In the meantime Adam carefully steered him to the stables, where Hoss was waiting.<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t do any of those things, even though I\u2019d like to,\u201d Joe muttered, leaning against the rails of Cooch\u2019s stall. \u201cMa would hate me and it wouldn\u2019t prove anything.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot about Carter, that\u2019s true.\u201d Adam agreed, folding his arms across his chest and leaning against the back wall of the stables, \u201cWhat do we know about the man? Only what he has told us, and who is there to guarantee that any of it is true? Ma never even knew him before he rode here, even though he claims some knowledge of her because of a friendship with Jean. Somehow it doesn\u2019t ring true.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are we going to do about it, Adam?\u201d Hoss asked anxiously. \u201cI hate seeing Ma so unhappy when she should be looking forward to getting married. I don\u2019t reckon we\u2019re handling this aright.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI agree with you, Hoss.\u201d Adam replied, nodding his dark head in confirmation of his words, \u201cLook, I\u2019ve written to a friend of Pa\u2019s in New Orleans and asked him to make enquiries about our friend Carter. If what he has told us is true, and he comes out of this search with a decent reputation, we may very well have to just accept the fact and – well for Ma\u2019s sake, stand back and -,\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I can\u2019t do that,\u201d Joe snapped instantly, his eyes blazing and his cheeks reddening with the intensity of his feelings, \u201cI can\u2019t, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAlright, Joe, calm down. Don\u2019t you think we both feel the same way as you? Look, the more we pull away from Ma the more she\u2019s going to defend him, and feel she has to be loyal to him. Joe, she\u2019s your mother, you should know her well enough to realise how stubborn she can be? If we just give her a little rope, she may feel less pressure from us and think more and feel less.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThink more and feel less? This is my Ma you\u2019re talking about,\u201d Joe smiled wryly, \u201cMa\u2019s all feeling, you know that? Her heart rules her head all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhich is why she needs us to back off for a bit. We want her to be happy, don\u2019t we?\u201d \u201cSo?\u201d Joe and Hoss replied together, looking at Adam with wide eyed anticipation.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, that\u2019s what we do, we ease off, and we try and find out as much about Carter as we can.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat if -\u201d Joe took a deep breath, \u201cWhat if whatever we do doesn\u2019t work, and she still wants to marry him?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen,\u201d Hoss said, shrugging his shoulders and grimacing, \u201cshe must be in love.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd if she\u2019s that much in love, Joe, then there isn\u2019t anything we can do about it.\u201d Adam said sadly.<\/p>\n Joe looked at them both, at Hoss who stood before him with a downcast face, and Adam, who looked defiant. He nodded,<\/p>\n \u201cI guess you\u2019re right,\u201d he said quietly, \u201cIf she really loves him, then we\u2019ll just have to be here for her when it all goes wrong, because, believe me, it will.\u201d<\/p>\n Chapter 14<\/p>\n Hoss dismounted and holding the reins walked towards the Fraser home. The chickens still squawked as loudly and the dog barked as enthusiastically. The house itself remained shut off, and silent.<\/p>\n With a sigh he looked around him. There was no sign of Matt Fraser anywhere. Hoss yelled out his name several times which sent the chickens into more panic and the dog into a frenzy of barking. When peace settled along with the dust dog and chickens had created around them there was still no evidence of Matt.<\/p>\n \u201cTypical!\u201d Hoss snorted. He tethered Chubb and then walked to the door of the house and opened it, \u201cHey, Matt, you in there?\u201d<\/p>\n The room was empty. There was no sign of the man and no scent of anything having been cooked or boiled for at least 24 hours. Seeing paper and a stubby pen on the table Hoss tore off a scrap and very laboriously scrawled down a note. Concentrating hard, Hoss hoped that all that he had written would explain everything without the man harbouring any ill feelings towards either himself or his brothers, but most of all, against Marie.<\/p>\n With a last look around him Hoss left the note on the table where he hoped it would be obvious and quickly left the premises. Trust Joe to leave him with the rotton job of having to disappoint Mr Fraser about Saturday, but the social was looming ever closer and he was the only one of the three close enough to the homestead to make the errand.<\/p>\n *******<\/p>\n Saturday morning dawned, and David Carter opened his mail with his brow creased in deep thought. His meeting with Marie the previous afternoon had not gone as well as he had hoped. Her suggestion to post pone the nuptials for a few more weeks worried him. Even the explanation she gave, despite its plausibility, was inadequate. His mind had worried the matter over like a terrier with a bone. The conclusion he arrived at was absolute. Adam Cartwright had initiated the whole thing and had obviously played on his youngers brothers\u2019 emotions to put pressure on their mother.<\/p>\n As he read the letters David found himself thinking more and more about Adam. He, being the first born, had been moulded more by his father than either of the others. Ove the years he had been solely responsible for running the Ponderosa. His share from Ben\u2019s will was sizeable, equal to his brothers certainly, Ben had been fair in that, but for David it was the share that appealed to him most. And why? Because it was Adams.<\/p>\n He put down the letters now and walked to the window. He saw Evie leave the dressmakers with several boxes balanced in her arms and a gleeful smile on her pretty face. He followed her with his eyes until she disappeared from sight. What a silly little girl she was, he thought, but she was useful. If her plan to inveigle Joe into marriage worked it could well turn very much to David\u2019s favour, especially if he and Marie were already wed.<\/p>\n He smiled slowly and stroked his upper lip thoughtfully while his eyes narrowed in contemplation. Everything he had planned over the past few months had been working very well until yesterday. As a knock came to the door, so he dismissed the problem as temporary. Tonight, he resolved, all would be back just the way he wanted it to be.<\/p>\n \u201cEnter,\u201d he intoned and turned to face the entrant.<\/p>\n A tall thick set man filled the doorway. David frowned and gave the man a swift up and down appraisal, only too aware that the newcomer was doing exactly the same to him.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you Henry Chambers?\u201d he asked finally, leaving his place by the window to reach the security of his desk at which he stood, close to the drawer which contained a lethal little derringer \u2026 just in case.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you David Carter?\u201d the newcomer asked in a voice that was reasonably pleasant and amiable. He walked further into the room with a smile on his face, and closed the door behind him. \u201cI believe you wish to discuss some business with me. Some tidying up you want me to do for you?\u201d<\/p>\n Chambers pulled out a chair and sat down, crossed one leg over the other, brushed off a speck of dust from his jacket, and smiled up at David who watched this nonchalant performance with cold detachment.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are your terms?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHalf before the job, half after. If it goes wrong I\u2019ll forfeit the one half, but won\u2019t hang around too bail you out of any trouble that may result.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAre things likely to go wrong then, Mr Chambers? If they are, then you may as well leave now. I don\u2019t like half finished jobs, let alone bungled ones.\u201d David\u2019s tone of voice was like ice and his eyes darkened with annoyance.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m just giving you fair warning. I\u2019m not stupid, Mr Carter. That\u2019s the way things do go wrong, people get complacent, they brag that they can \u2018tidy up\u2019 without any problems. Well, that only happens in cheap dime novels. In real life anything can happen to ruin the most carefully laid plans. The wind can change direction and the bullet goes adrift \u2026 who do you blame for that? You aim at the perfect target and someone else appears and gets in the way. Well? It happens. Chance and unforeseen occurrence , Mr Carter. You have to make allowance for that every time.\u201d<\/p>\n David relaxed and pulled out a chair. Having sat down he looked at Chambers thoughtfully and then nodded,<\/p>\n \u201cVery well. I like the way you think.\u201d he knew only too well how the best laid plans could go awry, hadn\u2019t it just happened to him?<\/p>\n \u201cJust tell me about the person you want me to tidy away. Accidents can happen at any time, but it would be best if you tell me if there is any particular time period you may want it to occur in. Any other details I may need to consider?\u201d<\/p>\n David leaned back and smiled. What a pleasant man. Such a pleasing manner about him. One would really think he was just discussing the best way of ridding the streets of garbage! He folded his hands together neatly on the desk\u2019s surface and in his mind\u2019s eye saw himself holding Marie in his arms as he consoled her over the loss of her eldest son. He frowned, that was really what ate like poison into his soul \u2026 Adam Cartwright was not Marie\u2019s eldest son. There was no flesh and blood tie between them. Adam Cartwright was a young, handsome, virile young man. Carter jumped as he heard his name coming, seemingly, from a long distance away. Startled he looked around and saw Chambers looking at him, rather doubtfully.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you alright, Mr Carter? You sure you want me to go ahead with this job?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPositive. The sooner the better.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow soon?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnytime this week. I\u2019ve a friend who has promised to find out some details as to where,\u201d he paused at the look on Chambers face, \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, it won\u2019t do. I don\u2019t like there being any friends involved. Just you and me. That way things stay neat. Just tell me who you want removed, describe him, tell me where he hangs out. I\u2019ll do the rest of the work myself. Then when it happens you can be properly surprised.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI like that, Mr Chambers. You know your job pretty well, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, well\u2026\u201d Chambers smiled pleasantly, his eyes twinkled, \u201cI\u2019ve been in the business of tidying up for some years now. You\u2019d be amazed at how many people I have helped disappear, to the joy of their relatives, I may add.\u201d<\/p>\n Carter nodded with pleasure. Everything was working out wonderfully well. Wonderfully! He took a deep breath and then released it,<\/p>\n \u201cThis is the person I want you to deal with, Mr Chambers. His name is Adam Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOne of the Cartwrights from the Ponderosa?\u201d Chambers eyes narrowed.<\/p>\n \u201cThe eldest son. You can\u2019t mistake him, he wears black all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAdam Cartwright from the Ponderosa. Don\u2019t worry, Mr Carter, about him. Just worry about paying me. Here\u2019s my fee.\u201d he slipped a piece of paper over the desk to David, who picked it up, then after looking at the price scrawled upon it, nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll get the half of it to you within the hour, Mr Chambers.\u201d<\/p>\n Chambers smiled and stood up. He adjusted his jacket, brushed away some dust which wasn\u2019t there anyway, and smiled coldly,<\/p>\n \u201cA pleasure doing business with you, Mr Carter.\u201d<\/p>\n David Carter nodded and put out his hand to clinch the deal, but Chambers had already left the room. The door closed with a soft click. David was just left with a piece of paper with the amount of the money to be paid, and the name of the boarding house in which Chambers was staying.<\/p>\n Chapter 15 \u201cEvie Templeton.\u201d Joe said quickly, then he glanced over at Adam who had said nothing, \u201cShe\u2019s a nice girl.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t say she wasn\u2019t, Joe.\u201d Adam folded his arms across his chest and frowned slightly, \u201cWhy so on the defensive?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, folk talk, don\u2019t they? They aren\u2019t always kind about Evie and her mother.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I guess people feel secure in themselves if they have others they can pass judgement on. Will we see you there?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe nodded, checking in the mirror to make sure that he looked as good as he hoped and then he smiled, pleased at his reflection. Adam smiled too, there was no doubt about it, Joe was growing more handsome every year.<\/p>\n Adam returned to his own room and began to dress. He heard Joe hurry along the landing, call out something, the thud of his feet on the stairs. He smiled again, Joe would never be short of girls to go out with, that was for sure. She looked at herself closely in the mirror. It was strange how age crept up on one, she mused, she had been so busy living life that she didn\u2019t notice the tracery of lines upon her skin especially around the eyes and mouth. She tilted her chin, which was still firm and smooth. Well, she thought to herself, she had lived a strange and wonderful life, but, all in all, she didn\u2019t think she had come out of it too badly.<\/p>\n She frowned a little now, thinking of her meeting with David the previous day. It had not gone smoothly. She had asked him to postpone the wedding for several months and he had become decidedly angry. She had been surprised at the vehemence he had shown, and some of the things he had accused her of had been unfair and unkind. As she tweaked a curl into place she saw his face in her mind\u2019s eyes and shivered.<\/p>\n For the first time since they had met, she now doubted whether or not she should proceed with this courtship. She asked herself now \u2026 do I love this man? She looked at her reflection in the mirror and saw the doubt in her own eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cIs David collecting you, Ma?\u201d Hoss asked as he paused at her doorway.<\/p>\n \u201cNo. I told him there was little point in coming all this way from town just to go back again.\u201d she replied, recalling that she had also said that unless he changed his attitude she wouldn\u2019t want to have anything to do with him at the social. He had backed down, surprisingly enough, for he had never experienced her temper before, and had promised that all would be well, he would see her at the social and all would be as it had been before. She stood up and smoothed her gown, and wondered, would it?<\/p>\n The knock on the door caught them by surprise. Adam was knotting his black string tie, and Hoss was slicking back his hair. They both walked to the landing to see who it would be that Hop Sing would admit into the room. Adam smiled at the sight of Matt Fraser, and Hoss groaned.<\/p>\n Matt had spent an inordinate amount of time in town that day. He had been shaved and his hair had been trimmed by the town\u2019s barber. He had bought a new suit, new shirt and tie, and his shoes gleamed as though his life depended on them being glossier than anyone else\u2019s in town. He smiled up at them and drew a corsage, gardenia\u2019s no less, from behind his back.<\/p>\n \u201cMatt? What in tarnation are you doing here?\u201d Hoss cried.<\/p>\n \u201cMatt, how lovely to see you.\u201d Marie exclaimed as she appeared on the landing from her room.<\/p>\n Adam and Matt said nothing, they just looked at her and caught their breath.<\/p>\n \u201cYou look beautiful this evening, Ma.\u201d Adam managed to say eventually.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, Adam.\u201d she smiled at him and touched him on the shoulder gently as she passed him to descend the stairway, \u201cMatt, what a lovely corsage.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFor a lovely lady.\u201d he said, and bowed from the waist while his eyes shone up at her.<\/p>\n There could not have been a more gallant escort. Marie, surprised to see him (as was Hoss), smiled and pinned the corsage to her dress.<\/p>\n \u201cI wasn\u2019t expecting you this evening, Matt.\u201d she said sweetly, picking up her shawl as she spoke.<\/p>\n \u201cWal, I wasn\u2019t too sure what to do, Marie, seeing as there are these rumours in town about you and David Carter. But then, I thought, perhaps you would take pity on an old friend, just this last time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh Matt, you are very kind, and a very dear old friend as well, thank you.\u201d she slipped her shawl around her shoulders and sighed, as though truly content with life, although all she could think about was the reaction that David would show when she arrived at the social with another man.<\/p>\n Hoss watched as the couple left the house. He wiped his very dry mouth with the back of his hand and then shook his head, he looked over at Adam, who seemed to be daydreaming.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019d best be getting along, Adam, seeing as there could be fireworks any time now.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam nodded and sighed,<\/p>\n \u201cThis,\u201d he said to his brother, \u201c\u201dWill be very interesting to see.\u201d<\/p>\n ********<\/p>\n Sophia Templeton watched as Evie put on the necklace and ear rings that David had given to her. Sophia moved her head from side to side as though trying to see the jewels as they flashed in the light of the oil lamps.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re very pretty, Evie. Where did you get them from? Are they real diamonds?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey scratch glass,\u201d Evie said proudly, \u201cso I guess they must be. I got them from a \u201cA man friend?\u201d<\/p>\n Evie sighed and looked at her mother through the mirror. Sophia wore that angry, disdainful look on her face again, that often heralded trouble.<\/p>\n \u201cJust a friend, nothing more.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t like you having men friends.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know, Ma.\u201d she sighed, and tweaked at her hair, wondering how Joe would prefer her to wear it. She brought a coil up in her hand and wound it around her head, \u201cIt\u2019s alright, Ma, I know how to take care of myself.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s what I said too,\u201d Sophia said quietly, walking to the dressing table and standing behind her daughter. She picked up a brush and began to brush the girl\u2019s hair, very gently, \u201cWho are you going with to the social?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJoe Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJoe Cartwright? One of the Cartwright boys from the Ponderosa?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes. I used to go to school with him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI remember him. He came here once for cookies and a glass of milk. A charming child.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think Miss Jones thought so,\u201d Evie laughed, \u201cBut he was sweet. He was always very nice to me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs he the friend who gave you the jewels?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, Ma. It was someone else.\u201d<\/p>\n Sophie sighed and put down the brush. She stood back and watched as her daughter finished doing her hair. No doubt about it, Evie was lovely. She had her father\u2019s eyes, but the rest of her was from her Templeton forebears. Sophia shivered, and turned away. She had been beautiful too, once. Men had come, they spoke words of love and made promises that they never kept. Then too late, she was expecting the child and the father stepped out of her life, leaving her to bring up the child on her own, on a meagre inheritance that she had eked out miserably over the years. No wonder she sought comfort from drink. Her sole trusted companion, made no promises, told no lies, provided solace and oblivion for a few hours at least.<\/p>\n \u201cEvie, be careful, won\u2019t you?\u201d she said quietly, as she reached the door of the room and half turned to look, once again, at her daughter.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s alright, Momma. I have a plan, and if it works out, you\u2019ll never have to worry about a thing ever again.\u201d<\/p>\n Sophia sighed and slipped into her own room. She sat down in front of the mirror and picked up her silver backed brush \u2026 she couldn\u2019t remember a time when she had ever stopped worrying. Evie smiled over at him, and he smiled in return. He watched as Joseph Cartwright guided her amongst the guests there, talking to this one or that one, and laughing, his hazel eyes twinkling in pleasureable enjoyment. How easy to be so popular, David mused, when one has lived in one place all one\u2019s life, and a Cartwright to boot. He turned aside and looked towards the door.<\/p>\n Marie entered with her arm through that of another man. A stranger to Carter which made it worse. She glanced around the room and smiled to various ones. Then her eyes fell upon David. The emotions he was feeling were as obvious as the writing on the pages of a book. The most obvious of all was a seething rage. The skin around his collar was going scarlet. She felt herself quail at the sight of the man who had professed to love her, and anxiously she stepped back.<\/p>\n Behind her Adam placed a firm hand on her arm, as though reassuring her that she was safe. By her side Matt retained hold of her hand through his arm, and next to him stood Hoss. She steadied herself, smiled and forced herself to look straight into David\u2019s eyes.<\/p>\n By the time David had crossed the room, he had succeeded in calming down sufficiently to mask his feelings. He smiled pleasantly at Matt, and leaned forward to kiss Marie on the cheek.<\/p>\n \u201cMy dear, you look beautiful this evening,\u201d he said to her.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, David. David, this is Matt Fraser. I don\u2019t think you have met, have you?\u201d she smiled, and looked from one to the other, \u201cMatt is an old friend of Bens and a very dear valued friend of the family.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPleased to meet you,\u201d Matt said, shaking the banker\u2019s hand vigorously, \u201c I sure hope you didn\u2019t mind my escorting Marie to the dance this evening. Thought I\u2019d bring her this time as I couldn\u2019t be sure how long it would be before I would get the change again.\u201d<\/p>\n David smiled coldly, a slight sneer touched his lips, the arrogance of the man!<\/p>\n \u201cLet me get you something to drink, my dear. Matt, it\u2019s been a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for bringing Marie safely to the dance but\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut it\u2019s customary for the escort to have the first dance with the lady he has brought to the dance, David. I\u2019ll have that drink later \u2026\u201d Marie smiled at them all, and with Matt\u2019s arm around her waist drifted into the dance.<\/p>\n Carter swallowed loudly. Adam raised his eyebrows and rocked on his heels, pursed his lips and stared at the ceiling. Hoss pulled a face, and rolled his blue eyes, and wished he could disappear.<\/p>\n \u201cCan I get you a drink?\u201d Adam said eventually to David who seemed to have taken root to the floor.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t want anything from you,\u201d David hissed, and strode away. Seeing the Mayor and his wife approaching him, he fixed a smile to his lips and struggled to compose himself for polite social conversation.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d say that was round one to our side, huh?\u201d Hoss whispered.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d say so. How long do you think it\u2019ll last?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWho knows? I\u2019m going to find myself a filly to dance with now,\u201d Hoss replied and promptly disappeared.<\/p>\n Adam sighed, and turned his attention to the dance floor. Marie and Matt looked comfortable together. A handsome couple some would say, relaxed with one another, and laughing as they danced. He saw Evie laughing at something that Joe has whispered into her ear. He saw David fingering something in his pocket, while he was talking to the Mayor. He wondered, fleetingly, if Carter possessed a derringer.<\/p>\n The music stopped, Matt gave Marie a final swirl and then leaned forward and whispered something that made her laugh. Even before the laughter had ended, David was at her side, his hand on her arm.<\/p>\n \u201cI need to talk to you, Marie. It\u2019s private. Outside.\u201d he ordered imperiously.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t see what you need to say to me outside that can\u2019t be said here, inside.\u201d Marie replied, smiling at him, but with her eyes cold.<\/p>\n David Carter stepped back, as though surprised at Marie being so stubborn in her refusal to meet his request. He was about to speak when Adam was there, a smile on his face,<\/p>\n \u201cExcuse me, Mr Carter, if I may have the next dance, Ma?\u201d his arm cut across David\u2019s body, pushing him very gently away from Marie, while his other hand took hold of hers and instantly he stepped into the next dance. David stared at them, glared at them, and then turned upon his heel and returned to the tables to watch them from there.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you alright?\u201d Adam asked Marie quietly, the words were soft against her skin, and she smiled and nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve got used to you calling me Marie.\u201d she said suddenly, \u201cIt\u2019s been a while since you called me Ma so much.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPerhaps it\u2019s to remind myself that that is who you are,\u201d he replied cryptically.<\/p>\n She said nothing to that, but felt reassured by the firmness of his grip around her waist and hand, she sighed contentedly.<\/p>\n \u201cYour father would be so proud of you, Adam,\u201d she said suddenly, \u201cThe way you\u2019ve managed the ranch all these years, and helped me with the boys.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t do that much really.\u201d he replied and looked down at her with a smile, \u201cRemember that time the Indians attacked and Joe was hidden in the hayloft?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI was terrified. I thought they would find him and take him away, the scamp.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou faced up to them though. Never knew a woman could handle a rifle the way you did that day.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, I have to say I was mighty grateful that Ben took the trouble to teach me so well,\u201d she sighed, \u201cHe was a patient teacher.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam said nothing, musing still over the picture of the younger Marie gripping her rifle, the wind blowing her hair across her face, her skirts billowing about her ankles.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m glad Pa married you and brought you home,\u201d he said, \u201cThey were happy years, those we had with Pa, weren\u2019t they?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d she replied in a soft, still voice.<\/p>\n The music ended and people clapped. Adam said nothing but stepped back, and led her to the table where David was waiting. Marie smiled at him, and was about to speak when a disturbance at the door caused a ripple effect amongst everyone there, as all turned to look at its cause.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve come for Evie. I\u2019ve come to bring my little girl back home.\u201d<\/p>\n Sophia swayed in the doorway and narrowed her eyes as she peered through the crowd of people. She stepped further into the room, and swung her arm wide, nearly knocking Widow Hawkins off her feet in the process,<\/p>\n \u201cEvie, you gotta come home with me, honey. Where are you?\u201d<\/p>\n Evie shrunk against Joe\u2019s side, her face had gone white when she had first seen her mother standing there, but now the blood rushed back and rouged her cheeks a brilliant red.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s alright,\u201d Joe whispered, \u201cI\u2019m here for you. Don\u2019t worry. Just go to her. We\u2019ll get her home as quickly as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh Joe,\u201d she whispered and together they walked towards the woman who was obviously finding it hard to keep upright.<\/p>\n Adam turned away from the sight. As far as he was concerned the woman needed, and was about to get, help. As his gaze turned from Sophia it caught the look upon David\u2019s face. It was a look of horror, disgust, dismay. Adam felt a surge of anger well up through him, couldn\u2019t the man even feel pity for the poor wretched woman,he asked himself.<\/p>\n Sophia staggered further into the room, and the people stepped back, as though she were contaminated by some contagious sickness.<\/p>\n \u201cEvie?\u201d she cried, seeing her daughter at last and the smile that came upon her face was sweet and tender, \u201cEvie.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s alright, Momma, I\u2019m here and so is Joe. We\u2019ll take you home now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEvie, I had to come. I just don\u2019t feel right, something inside of me\u2026\u201d she touched her breast, and her face contorted with fear.<\/p>\n \u201cShall I get the doctor?\u201d Joe asked, taking hold of the woman\u2019s hand.<\/p>\n But Sophia was no longer looking at Evie, nor at him. Her gaze was upon the face of someone else. Her eyes widened. Her face drained of all colour,<\/p>\n \u201cRemy?\u201d she cried, \u201cRemy?\u201d and then she fell, fainting, upon the floor.<\/p>\n Chapter 16 Marie was about to follow but David caught her arm and pulled her back,<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s no reason for you to go with them, Marie. The poor woman has her daughter with her, she wouldn\u2019t appreciate strangers there as well.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFor pities sake, David. That poor woman has lived here for over ten years, we should not be strangers to her now, when she needs friends.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMarie, stay here.\u201d David said in a very low tone, for they stood close, side by side, and he murmered the words in her ear, \u201cI have to speak with you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhatever you say will have to wait, David. I want to make sure Mrs Templeton is taken good care of,\u201d and she pulled away, but he held her tightly by the wrist,<\/p>\n \u201cIs she more important then, Marie? More important than I am to you?\u201d<\/p>\n She looked up into his face. A handsome man, yes, but suddenly, no longer appealing. His eyes were hard, they glittered like those of a snake when it is at its most dangerous.<\/p>\n \u201cLet me go, David.\u201d she said, and forced herself to look into his eyes. She saw her own face mirrored in the dark pupils and wondered if he also could see the fear mingled with disgust that was on her face.<\/p>\n The music had restarted and couples were dancing again. There were several whoops and hollers amidst the clapping. She pulled away and as she turned Matt Fraser was there with her shawl, which he draped clumsily across her shoulders while he gave David a look more eloquent than words. Back off could not have been said more clearly.<\/p>\n David pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his face. He had felt like strutting like a cockerel earlier on in the evening, now he felt as bedraggled as a plucked chicken ready for the pot.<\/p>\n *******<\/p>\n \u201cRemy? Is he here?\u201d<\/p>\n The whispered words could barely be heard, but Evie leaned closer to her mother and hearing them told Sophia that there was no Remy there, nor had there been for a very long time.<\/p>\n \u201cI saw him. Evie, he was there. Please, please tell him to come to me. I love him so much. I forgive him. I do, I do forgive him.\u201d<\/p>\n Sophia closed her eyes and drifted away into unconsciousness, perhaps she could feel the gentle fingers that held her hand, perhaps not. A small smile lingered about her mouth, as though she had found some contentment, some hope, at last.<\/p>\n \u201cWho\u2019s Remy?\u201d Joe asked Evie in a soft voice.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s the name of the man who was my father,\u201d Evie replied without taking her eyes from her mother\u2019s face. \u201cYou wouldn\u2019t realise it, Joe, but there was a time when my mother was very lovely, and wealthy. But she loved too easily and trusted too often. Remy said he loved her but when she told him she was expecting me, he suddenly remembered his duty as a husband and returned to his wife.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d Joe sighed and looked at Sophia and then at Evie, \u201cWhy do you think she called out for him at the hall? Do you think she was \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe wasn\u2019t drunk.\u201d Evie snapped defensively, \u201cDoctor Martin said she was not drunk at all. She was ill, in pain. She thought she saw him, that\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam, leaning against the door frame with his hands clasped together in front of him, frowned slightly. Had he been the only person there to think, no, to believe that she had been looking straight at the person she addressed as Remy? The same person who had looked upon her with fear and horror and disgust on his own face?<\/p>\n He moved slightly as the door opened and Marie stepped into the room. They exchanged a look, said nothing, but understood all. In silence Marie hurried to Evie\u2019s side and put an arm around her shoulders,<\/p>\n \u201cCome, Evie, let her sleep now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m afraid that if I leave her, she\u2019ll die without anyone being here with her. I wouldn\u2019t want her to die alone.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll stay here. Why not go out and rest awhile, Joe will take you out into the fresh air and if your mother needs you, then Adam or Hoss will come for you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, it\u2019s very kind of you, Mrs Cartwright, but I would really rather stay here with her. I\u2019m all she has, you know?\u201d and Evie gave them a bleak, heart breakingly sad smile.<\/p>\n \u201cI know,\u201d Marie said softly and dropped a gentle kiss upon the girls brow.<\/p>\n Adam opened the door and together they slipped out of the room. On the landing Hoss was leaning against the wall, and immediately straightened up as they came out,<\/p>\n \u201cHow is she?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUnconscious,\u201d Marie replied and smiled at him, \u201cThat was a kind thing to do, Hoss. It gave her some dignity, the way you carried her so quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShucks, Ma, I jest felt so sorry for the poor lady, and for Evie too.\u201d<\/p>\n They went down the stairs in silence and sat down on the rather frayed chairs in the sitting room. Marie looked around and sighed, there was little to gaze upon, in her poverty Sophia couldn\u2019t afford many luxuries.<\/p>\n \u201cPoor Sophia. What did Paul say was wrong with her, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHer heart, among other things, can\u2019t handle the stress she\u2019s living under. Life is just grinding her down, with the aid of all the alcohol she consumes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t judge her harshly, Adam. I feel guilty in that all these years have gone by and the town has done nothing but stand in judgement of her.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFor one mistake? It was hardly her fault, and she did her best in raising Evie.\u201d Adam replied rather abruptly, as though he had been stung by the accusation from Marie that he could also be one to stand in judgement of another.<\/p>\n \u201cWho do you think Remy was?\u201d Marie asked after a moment or two of silence.<\/p>\n \u201cEvie said it was the name of her father. Remy \u2026\u201d Adam shrugged his shoulders, \u201cI think Sophia saw the man in the hall tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThought she saw him,\u201d Hoss said quickly, \u201cIf\u2019n he\u2019d been there, I doubt if she would have left it this long before she had gone to see him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt may have been the first time she had seen him, the first time in a long time.\u201d Marie replied quietly, and she looked over at Adam, \u201cDid you see who she was addressing?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, and he didn\u2019t like it, not one bit.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWho was it?\u201d she asked in a very quiet subdued kind of voice but Adam just shook his head and said nothing, \u201cAdam, do you think Evie saw?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, she was more concerned about her mother,\u201d Adam replied.<\/p>\n They paused at the sounds of footsteps on the landing and looked up to see Evie peering down at them. She looked from one to the other and then said to Marie,<\/p>\n \u201cMy mother asked to speak to you, Mrs Cartwright, in private.\u201d<\/p>\n Marie stood up, nervously smoothed down her skirt, and made her way to the stairs. For an instant she faltered, and looked back at Adam and Hoss, then she took one step at a time, as though dreading the conversation to come.<\/p>\n Evie opened the door to her, and smiled, but she looked nervous and scared. Joe came out of the room and the two of them went downstairs and joined Hoss and Adam in the shabby little sitting room.<\/p>\n Upstairs Marie took the chair that Evie had previously occupied and took the womans hand. It was dry and hot, and trembled slightly.<\/p>\n \u201cIs that you, Mrs Cartwright?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt is, Sophia. Is there something you wanted? Can I get you anything?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, no. I just wanted to speak to you about something very, very important. Raise the pillow a little so I can look at you.\u201d<\/p>\n Marie did as requested, and helped the sick woman to sit a little higher in the bed. Then she looked at her and smiled, Sophia just looked intently into her face, then sighed and closed her eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I moved here all those years ago I couldn\u2019t believe that it was you, married to that Ben Cartwright. Imagine you being here of all people?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhere did you expect me to be, Sophia? Why were you so surprised to see me?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI lived in the same town as you, years ago. I never knew you, to speak to you or anything like that, but I would know you if I passed you in the street, which I did, often. We would smile and nod at each other and pass on by. You married Jean, but his mother hated you, isn\u2019t that right?\u201d her hand convulsively tightened on Marie\u2019s and Marie felt her heart start to thud noisily in its cavity and her mouth went dry as she wondered what else the woman was about to say.<\/p>\n \u201cI was wealthy then, my family were well connected. But I was a silly young woman, vain and easily led into trouble. When I met and fell in love with Remy I believed everything he told me, everything. One evening he came to the house with a little baby swaddled in blankets. A baby boy only days old.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA baby boy?\u201d Marie\u2019s voice faltered.<\/p>\n \u201cHe told me that he had been paid a lot of money to take the baby from its mother. She was very sick. She would be told that the baby had died during her sickness and would never know, never, ever know, that the baby had been taken from her.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTaken from her?\u201d Marie echoed the last words, her heart beat was thudding in her ears now. She both dreaded and longed to hear everything Sophia had to say.<\/p>\n \u201cRemy was always needing money. He had debts. I don\u2019t know what happened to the baby, but I think the grandparents took him. Then Jean left and you were all alone.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo you \u2026 are you talking about my baby?\u201d Marie whispered hoarsely.<\/p>\n \u201cI had to tell you, Mrs Cartwright. I had to let you know about the baby. If I died without telling you, it would be the greatest sin of all, and I don\u2019t think God would forgive me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhere did he take the baby?\u201d Marie could barely get the words through her lips.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know what happened to the baby, but I think the grand-parents took him. I don\u2019t know for sure, Remy wouldn\u2019t say. I saw the baby only for a little while and held him in my arms when he cried. He was so sweet. I longed to have a baby of my own \u2026\u201d her voice faltered, she closed her eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cSophia? Can you hear me?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d came the whispered reply.<\/p>\n \u201cIs it my baby you were talking about? Are you saying that my baby did not die?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d Sophia\u2019s fingers twitched and tightened around Marie\u2019s hand.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you know where he is now?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo. Perhaps he\u2019s dead. I don\u2019t know. You have to ask Remy.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWho is Remy?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEvie\u2019s father.\u201d came the softly spoken reply, \u201cPlease? Can I see Evie now?\u201d<\/p>\n Marie released the womans hand and gently placed it upon the bed covers. She walked, somehow, to the door, and leaned her burning brow upon the cool woodwork. Her baby son had not died then? Was that right? Had she heard right?<\/p>\n Somehow she made her way downstairs and told Evie her mother needed her. She sat down, her back straight and stiff, her eyes glazed and staring at the far wall, seeing nothing.<\/p>\n \u201cMa? Ma?\u201d<\/p>\n The voice seemed to be coming from a long way off. She became aware of Adam rubbing her hands with a look of concern on his face, and of Hoss, leaning down, with a glass of brandy in his hand, looking scared and forlorn like a scared child.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you all right? We thought you were going to pass out.\u201d Adam said anxiously.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m all right.\u201d she said and took the brandy from Hoss\u2019 hand, \u201cI\u2019m all right.\u201d she repeated.<\/p>\n From upstairs they heard a muffled cry, then the sound of sobbing. Evie had been right when she had told her mother earlier that she would soon have nothing more to worry about\u2026<\/p>\n Chapter 17 Was everything in ruins now? Had he nothing left upon which he could fall back and retrieve, hopefully, something from the mess? That wretched, wretched woman, why had she to appear like that and, after so long, to recall his face, his name!<\/p>\n He lowered himself into his chair and placed the derringer on the desk in front of him, the glass of whiskey he drank in two hasty gulps and then slammed the glass down onto the desk\u2019s surface.<\/p>\n Such high hopes for to-night and for what? What had he to show for it now? His hand reached out and his fingers curled around the handle of the derringer.<\/p>\n \u201cThat would be rather a waste, wouldn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n The voice was behind him. Close behind him. Startled he turned and stared at the man who stepped towards him from out of the shadows.<\/p>\n \u201cHow long have you been there?\u201d he asked, his eyes widening in confusion.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, about an hour.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe door was locked.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo? I unlocked it.\u201d the man shrugged and then sat down in the chair which only hours he had vacated. He smiled slowly, \u201cWhat was the whiskey for? To give you the courage to blow your brains out?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy are you here? You were sent the money you requested, weren\u2019t you?\u201d David replied in an attempt to divert the conversation from himself.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you still want me to go ahead?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d David said with a power behind the word that even caught him by surprise. \u201cYes, more than ever.\u201d<\/p>\n Henry Chambers smiled and nodded,<\/p>\n \u201cHow soon do you want it to happen?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow soon can you arrange things to happen?\u201d David looked at the other man with his eyes gleaming. If he had lost everything, he still had this chance to take something down with him.<\/p>\n \u201cBest not to tell you too much, after all, you want the surprise to be genuine when you go to console the man\u2019s mother. I presume, you will be consoling the grieving mother, won\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n If there was a slight sneer in the man\u2019s voice David chose to ignore it. He smiled at the thought of going to see Marie, feigning surprise, horror, dismay \u2026 oh yes, he could do that, and then giving her the comfort she would be needing. The shoulder to cry upon. The important thing was ensuring that it was his shoulder that was there to be cried upon and not that idiot Matt Fraser\u2019s.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy did you come here tonight?\u201d he asked Chambers, a frown furrowing his brow as he recalled his previous meeting with the man. \u201cI don\u2019t think it wise for us to be seen together, so why did you come back here tonight? Hadn\u2018t we already said all that was necessary earlier?\u201d<\/p>\n Chambers nodded, and crossed one leg over the other in a nonchalant manner that made David feel uncomfortable.<\/p>\n \u201cTrue enough. The problem is that when all that unpleasantness occurred over there at the social this evening, I got to wondering whether or not you would be around to pay me my other half. I just wanted to make sure my investment was sound.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve no worries on that account, Chambers. You do what we agreed and you\u2019ll get paid the agreed amount.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMmmm, so why the gun? Why the whiskey? Seemed to me, Mr Carter, that you seemed like a drowning man reaching out for a straw to hold onto \u2026 not a very reliable source of income for me, if you take what I mean?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo. I don\u2019t understand what you do mean.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I just thought I\u2019d come over and see how things were with you. After that debacle over there you didn\u2019t look so good. I waited here and what happens? You looked like a man about to blow his brains out\u2026that isn\u2019t good, Mr Carter. Not at all good. So, I think, if you have no objection, it might be a good idea if you pay me the other half now.\u201d<\/p>\n David said nothing. In a way he felt as though he were drowning. Everything was just winding down slowly around him and falling apart.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, Mr Carter?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n David stood up, squared his shoulders. He\u2019d lived long enough by his wits and come far enough as a result without falling into the hands of this kind of shyster. He stared into Chambers eyes and felt some flicker of power within himself come back to life and burn anew.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, Mr Chambers. The agreement stands as it was earlier. You deal with Adam Cartwright first. Then you\u2019ll get the money afterwards. Now, if you don\u2019t mind, get out of my office.\u201d<\/p>\n Chambers smiled slowly. He rose to his feet and took a deep breath. He looked at Carter, not with respect, but with something that indicated an acknowledgement of Carter\u2019s authority over him. He left the office and closed the door. *******<\/p>\n Joe opened his eyes to a dark room. Something had woken him. He tried to open his eyes but they were still heavy with sleep. His hand moved to his head and he rubbed his face automatically, as though by doing so he would wake up sooner. The dark didn\u2019t seem so black now, he could shapes of furniture in his room, and the drapes at the window were drifting back and forth very slowly in the slight breeze from the window. He heard it then, the sound that had roused him from sleep. The sound of a woman weeping.<\/p>\n He was awake now. Alert and anxious. He swung his feet over the side of the bed and pulled on his pants, buttoning them up hastily as he hurried to the door of his room. On the landing he picked up the lamp that was kept burning there and holding it aloft he made his way to his mother\u2019s room.<\/p>\n \u201cMa? Oh, Ma, what\u2019s wrong? What\u2019s wrong, Ma?\u201d<\/p>\n Marie shook her head, made an attempt to stifle the tears, and turned to look at Joe. She had been sitting at the dressing table with her face in her hands, but now she rose to her feet and turned to him,<\/p>\n \u201cOh Joe, I wish your father were here tonight. I miss him so much.\u201d she whispered, and held out her hands to him.<\/p>\n Setting down the lamp, Joe went to her side and held her close to him. He couldn\u2019t help but wonder whether she were speaking the truth, but then, for what reason would she lie?<\/p>\n \u201cIs there anything I can do, Ma? Were you upset about Sophia? Did she say something that could have upset you?\u201d<\/p>\n Marie closed her eyes tight and tried to shut out the memory of Sophia\u2019s frightened eyes as she told her about Remy and the baby. A woman frightened to meet her God with what appeared to be a monstrous sin upon her conscience. Glad perhaps to have had the chance to pass on the secret and the misery that went along with it. And now here was dear Joe, innocent to the fact that somewhere he had a brother, still alive.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam\u2019s voice broke in upon her thoughts, and upon Joe\u2019s also. He had heard the weeping and then the voices. Now he stood in the doorway and looked at them both,<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s all right, Adam. Ma\u2019s just a little distressed about \u2026 about Mrs Templeton.\u201d Joe said very quietly, and his breath brushed against his mother\u2019s cheek, warm and sweet.<\/p>\n Adam looked keenly at Marie, then again at Joe. He said nothing more, just gave a brief nod and retreated, closing the door behind him. Joe felt his mother slowly move away from him, and return to her seat at the dressing table,<\/p>\n \u201cJoe, do you have any idea who Sophia thought was this man, Remy?\u201d she asked, while at the same time she dabbed at her eyes and nose with a handkerchief.<\/p>\n \u201cNo. I never heard mention of anyone by that name before. Remy? French, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSophia came from my home, back in New Orleans. She knew me from all that time ago.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReally? You never said you knew her before.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m almost ashamed to have to admit it, but we didn\u2019t move in the same social circles. I didn\u2019t know her. We would perhaps pass in the street, but not to speak to, in fact, I never recognised her when we met her. It was Sophia who knew me, but she never said anything until this evening, before she died.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs that what upset you, Ma?\u201d he reached out and put a gentle hand, touched a curl of her hair that had fallen, coiled still, across her shoulder.<\/p>\n \u201cI wish I could know who this Remy was \u2026\u201d she whispered as though he were not there at all now, as though she were quite alone.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy? What\u2019s so important about him? We know he was Evie\u2019s father, and Sophia in her distress thought she saw him this evening, but there is no reason for you to concern yourself about him.\u201d<\/p>\n Marie stared down at her hands that clutched at the handkerchief, and nodded,<\/p>\n \u201cPerhaps you\u2019re right,\u201d she said quietly.<\/p>\n \u201cOf course I\u2019m right, Ma.\u201d he squatted down in front of her and smiled, looking up into her face and brushing away a curl, just like his father would have done.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry to have disturbed you, Joe. You\u2019ve enough to worry about as it is. I\u2019ll be alright now. Good night.\u201d she leaned forward and kissed his brow. Somewhere, perhaps, there was another young man who may have eyes like Joe\u2019s. Who had no mother to kiss him goodnight. Somewhere, perhaps, her other son had lived , and died\u2026how was she know? How was she to know?<\/p>\n ********** In the morning after had had eaten his breakfast he returned to his room and checked over his weapons. Then he sat at the window of his room for a while to go over in his mind the details of what he was going to do that day. The Cartwrights were an easy family to get details about because of their prominence in the community. People were only too pleased to discuss all manner of information with him about the Cartwrights comings and goings.<\/p>\n He waited without moving as patiently as a spider waits for that slightest of touches on its web. Just as he had been told and just as he had anticipated, Adam Cartwright rode down the main street of Virginia City and dismounted outside the Telegraph Depot. Chambers watched as Adam walked into the building. He smiled as the thought occurred to him that Adam Cartwright looked more like a gunman than he did.<\/p>\n Chambers did not actually like the thought of being in the same category as a gunman. He never challenged people to fight duels or anything as crass as that because it brought attention to himself. He had to live after all, just an ordinary life with his wife and family back home. He liked to fade back into the background. Just an ordinary man going about his business. He hired a buggy for the morning, and passed some pleasantries with the stable hand at the livery stables. Then he rode out of town. It was a pleasant day with hardly any wind about anywhere. Standing on the sidewalk he glanced up and down the road, and then lowered the brim of his hat to shade his eyes. Turning to the left he made his way to Evie Templetons home. \u201cI came to see how Miss Templeton was today, Mrs Allen.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s sleeping. She\u2019s very distressed,\u201d Mrs Allen replied, pulling the door partly shut behind her, \u201cThe doctor came and gave her something to help her sleep, and Mr Carter, the Bank Manager, he came as well.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDid he get to talk to her?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, but -,\u201d she paused, glanced over her shoulder and stepped closer to him, \u201cYou were there last night, standing close by him, weren\u2019t you? You know, when Sophia Templeton came in and started calling out as though she had seen someone she knew, before she collapsed.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I was, but what\u2019s the significance of that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDid you notice who she was looking at?\u201d Mrs Allen narrowed her eyes and looked straight into his own with such a meaningful expression on her face that Adam had to step back a pace,<\/p>\n \u201cI thought she was looking at someone, yes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDid you notice the look on HIS face?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam recalled to mind only too well the look on David Carter\u2019s face and he nodded,<\/p>\n \u201cYou believe that he is this person Mrs Templeton was calling out to?\u201d he asked Mrs Allen, who nodded with that pinched lip look well known to gossips throughout the world. It occurred to Adam then that Mr Allen probably got all his \u2019scoops\u2019 for the newspaper from this source and he resolved to watch every word he said in front of her in future.<\/p>\n \u201cAnother thing,\u201d Mrs Allen leaned forward, \u201cEvie has been looking through her mother\u2019s papers and they were all over the table when he came in. I caught him looking through them when I came downstairs to tell him Evie was sleeping.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam nodded, looked thoughtfully over Mrs Allen\u2019s shoulder at the partially closed door and wished he could have a look throught the papers as well. He smiled, muttered his thanks, and made his departure.<\/p>\n He wondered how many others in town had noticed Carter\u2019s discomfiture at Sophia\u2019s outburst and had started to conjecture on just what the connection had been between them. Adam rode without too much concern about where he was going. Sport knew the way so well that had Adam been blindfolded he would have led his master safely home. Given to reading and reciting poetry on horseback, or just slipping in and out of daydreams was the normal course of events for Adam. Like all of us, when making a regular journey it become monotonous in time.<\/p>\n He did stop though when he came across the buggy sprawled rather inconveniently across the road. Dismounting he kept hold of the reins, and walked towards the vehicle, looking to left and right of it to ascertain whether or not the driver and\/or passengers were still in the vicinity. The silence was profound. He walked around the buggy and stopped to regard the wheel that was propped up against the back of the contraption. It all seemed very unusual.<\/p>\n He looked up at the sky, which was clear and blue. No buzzards wheeling about in anticipation of an early lunch then. He slipped off the holster loop and put his hand slowly onto the handle of his gun. Something was definitely wrong here.<\/p>\n Chambers smiled as he watched the young man circle the vehicle. He watched as Adam began to study the prints that were scuffled about the site, and it was when Adam peered up, almost as though he were looking right at him, that Chambers aimed, and fired \u2026<\/p>\n Chapter 19<\/p>\n For a fraction of a moment the young man stood facing the rocks, then a look of surprise spread over his face at the realisation that he had been shot. As though in slow motion he tried to raise a hand to where the blood was pumping from his body, staining the black shirt. Chambers watched as, in slow motion, the hand failed to reach the wound, but faltered, grew limp and heavy.<\/p>\n Adam could feel strength ebbing from him. He struggled to move. Everything was too much effort, far too much, and then he was falling. His knees buckled beneath him, his brain told him to put out a hand to stop but he had not the strength to move. His eyes were closing, he had not the strength to keep his eyelids open. Everything was shades of grey, getting darker, getting darker until there was just a dense blackness, blacker than the darkest night, darker than anything he could remember.<\/p>\n He could feel the heat of the ground beneath him and stones, small and shart, dug into his flesh. He knew he had to move but nothing worked anymore except this weird sensation of feeling the ground beneath him. Footsteps approached. Someone coming to help him. He had to call for help. But he couldn\u2019t move his mouth. He was finding it harder and harder to breath.<\/p>\n He struggled within himself to stay awake, to stay alive. Take a deep breath he told himself, but when he tried there was pain, and all he could do was release his breath in an abrupt sharp sigh.<\/p>\n Chambers looked down at the younger man and nudged the body with the toe of his boot. There was no resistance. He looked about him and listened intently for a moment and heard nothing. Not even a bird was singing. Swiftly he stripped himself of his jacket and shirt, and hauled up the body onto his broad back. It took no time at all to make a way through the rocks and boulders until he had reached the designated area to leave his victim. Without any thought to respect or dignity for the dead Chambers heaved Adam over and then dropped him onto the ground at his feet.<\/p>\n Pain surged like a wave over him and through him. His teeth shot small darts of agony through his face and skull. He gave an involuntary gasp. Inside his brain Adam thought he had screamed loud and long, certainly the pain had warranted such. But the gasp that came from his mouth was not even noticed by Chambers who saw an opening in the rock that he had not noticed before.<\/p>\n The man walked over and peered inside. It was well hidden, very well hidden. In fact, he had not even noticed it himself the previous day. He went back to the body and dragged it to the covert, and pulled him in. It went further back than he had realised and so he rolled Adam as far as he felt necessary. He stood up carefully, it was so dark inside that it was not easy to discern how much headroom was actually available.<\/p>\n Still, there was no time to lose, there were things still to do. To keep things tidy he had to continue with this subterfuge of being a pleasant visitor who had lost the wheel to his buggy. If he was seen stripped naked to the waist, well, so what, it was hot and putting wheels on a buggy was not easy on one\u2019s own. He had to remove the blood, from himself and from the road. Take care nothing was left that could point a finger at him.<\/p>\n He hurried now back to the roadside. A bird was singing now and to Chamber\u2019s mind it was a mournful song, had he the time he would have shot the fool thing off its perch. As it was, he grabbed a canteen of water and hurriedly rid himself of any blood upon his person. Then he checked out the road and the rocks. There was a lot of blood, far mre than he had wanted to find. But he kept his nerve, after all, he knew that most errors at scenes like this were caused by those who panicked and lost patience.<\/p>\n He was sweating large drops of perspiration by the time he had covered over the blood stains. Then he noticed the horse. The horse! He bit his lip, he should have thought of the horse before now. He gave Sport a good whack on the rump, which quite startled the poor beast who had been enjoying nibbling at the fresh grass. With a whinney of protest Sport tossed his head and galloped away.<\/p>\n Harry Chambers watched as the horse paused and turned to look at him. If the horse were to hang around people would notice, and recognise it. Then they would get to putting two and two together. He took out his rifle and aimed.<\/p>\n \u201cCalm down,\u201d he told himself, lowering the rifle, \u201cWhere can you hide a dead horse?\u201d<\/p>\n He aimed again, and fired. Sport lept forwards, straight into a full gallop, and with a sense of satisfaction, Chambers watched as the animal galloped out of sight.<\/p>\n Ten minutes later he had nearly got the wheel back onto it\u2019s axle when there came the sound of a wagon approaching. He paused in his work and looked about him. His sharp eyes surveyed the scene of the murder. He relaxed, there was nothing there to indicate that death had been carried out there. He returned to his task, a man struggling to repair his vehicle.<\/p>\n Hoss rounded the curve in the road and saw the man ahead of him. He hauled up the team of horses and clambered down, wiping his hands down the legs of his pants.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, thar, anything I can do to help?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, thank you. It seems to be harder to put on than it looks. Thankfully it wasn\u2019t broken at all, it must have just worked its way loose and rolled along the track a mite.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHere, let me\u2026\u201d Hoss gently nudged Chambers out of the way and with a smile lifted the buggy by the axle, he nodded over at him, \u201cRight, get her on now\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Chambers pushed on the wheel, and Hoss set about tightening it up with a speed that would have drawn words of admiration and gratitude from the man Chambers was pretending to be, but instead he was busy wiping his hands clean.<\/p>\n Hoss stepped back and pushed his hat to the back of his head,<\/p>\n \u201cThar now, stranger, that should get you back to Virginia City with no trouble at all. You just passing through?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, that\u2019s right.\u201d Chambers pulled on his jacket.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, enjoy your stay, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThanks, I will.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss frowned and turned just as Chambers was about to clamber into the buggy,<\/p>\n \u201cHey, you didn\u2019t happen to hear a gun shot did ya? A rifle mebbe?\u201d<\/p>\n Chambers continued to settle himself on the seat and was glad he had concealed the rifle. It took no time at all to dismantle and put back into his valise. He shook his head and picked up the reins,<\/p>\n \u201cI heard something some while back, but wouldn\u2019t know if it had been a rifle or not. I\u2019m a peaceable man. I don\u2019t even wear a gun.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMister,\u201d Hoss frowned and shook his head, \u201cThat\u2019s a mighty big risk you took hereabouts. Soon as you get into town, you\u2019d best go find yourself some hardware.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you. But you know what the good book says \u2019He who lives by the sword shall so perish by the sword\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, but I ..yeah, well, I see what you mean. G\u2019day to you, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n Chambers nodded, smiled and waved the big man farewell. Then he flicked the reins and urged the horses forwards. Behind him Hoss clambered back onto the wagon and whistled a tune, pleased at accomplishing his good deed for the day and oblivious to the fact that he had helped a murderer on his way.<\/p>\n Chapter 20 \u2018I could be dead now anyway -\u201d he thought as his eyelids opened and he stared once more upon the uncompromising rock. \u201cWhere am I? What is this place?\u201d<\/p>\n He made an attempt to move but the weakness of his limbs caused him to feel nausea as he struggled to move. Just an inch. Just a finger\u2026<\/p>\n Nothing. Nothing at all. He wondered if he were going to just bleed to death in which case he felt that would not be so bad, after all, there was no pain if he did not move. He would simply go to sleep and not wake up. That was all really. May be one day someone would stumble upon his bones and they would bury them, perhaps, next to his father. Joe would say \u2018So that\u2019s where he\u2019s been all this time.\u2019 Hoss would create a storm and say how they should have looked harder when it happened. Perhaps Marie would weep for him\u2026perhaps.<\/p>\n His eyelids were closing but he wanted to stay awake. He had to stay awake.<\/p>\n *******<\/p>\n Evie read through the letter that she had found among the papers in her mother\u2019s room. It was yellowing with age and the ink was faded. It was a letter that had never been sent telling a man who did not want to know, that he had a beautiful daughter. Her name was Evelyn Cartier Templeton. The letter was addressed to a Remy David Cartier in Baton Rouge.<\/p>\n She folded it and slipped it back among the other papers. So that was why she had such an odd middle name. It was her father\u2019s name. Remy Cartier. Remy David Cartier. How odd. If one said it quickly enough it would be Remy David Carter.<\/p>\n She sighed and put the papers in the drawer. Life was full of co-incidences, she concluded as she closed the door to her mother\u2019s room. The David Carter she knew was kind. So kind. He would never treat her the way Remy Cartier had treated her mother.<\/p>\n Is this then what love can do to a person? A beautiful young woman suddenly cast aside and left on the scrap heap of mortality. Her life ruined, and spiralling ever further into ruin until her final escape into the grave. It was too cruel. Evie went to her room and threw herself upon her bed and wept for the woman she had never really known, and had never really loved.<\/p>\n ******* \u201cAren\u2019t you going to dance, young man? There\u2019s a little lady over there who would like you to ask her?\u201d Ben Cartwright smiled down at his son, who cringed back against his legs, and scowled just a little<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s Matty Blades, Pa. I don\u2019t like her.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy don\u2019t you like her? She\u2019s a nice little girl.\u201d Ben\u2019s black eyes were on a level with the childs, as he squatted down to talk and the flames of the fire cast shadows over his face so that he didn\u2019t look quite the Pa he usually did.<\/p>\n \u201cShe calls me names. Do I have to dance with her, Pa?\u201d his voice was thin and reedy, a child\u2019s voice.<\/p>\n \u201cIt would be the kind thing to do, Adam. No one else is dancing with her, are they?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n Her hands were small and sweating. They fumbled with their holds but it took hardly any time at all before they were laughing and dancing with everyone else there. It was sheer delight. Dancing beneath the stars far out in the wilderness. Even the coyotes were silent, probably listening to the sounds of merriment from the wagon train.<\/p>\n The fiddle played on, a lonely sound, soaring higher and higher and then slowly ebbing away\u2026 taking with it the laugher and the clapping and Pa\u2019s dark eyes and the smile of pride he gave his son.<\/p>\n Adam groaned. He wanted to snatch back the elusive dream. He wanted to drift back into the comfort of having Pa with him again. Or perhaps it was the pain that was now trickling through his body, making first one foot jerk, then his hands curl into fists.<\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t fair. He didn\u2019t want to fall asleep. And had he done so, he didn\u2019t want to wake up. He ground his teeth together. Far away he could hear the fiddle playing again \u2026 There had been plenty of meetings since then, and he had given her gifts, the latest being the necklace and ear rings. No man gives a girl gifts like that without there having been something in it for him. Usually sexual favours in return. But she had given him nothing, except chatter and perhaps a little flirting, of which he had not really approved .<\/p>\n She closed her eyes and a tear, hot and stinging, slipped from under her eyelids down into her hair. The hazy picture was beginning to clear into focus now. She remembered her mother coming into the dance hall, looking for her. Yet, suddenly she had seen someone else and it had been him to whom she had called out. Evie, concerned for her mother had not looked back, she had not needed to, she knew who had been standing there at the table. She knew now to whom her mother was calling.<\/p>\n She sat up now and wiped away the tears. It was time to get the matter out in the open once and for all. At least Sophia would not feel any pain now.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n David Carter smiled and looked out of the window. The stagecoach rolled by and he could see the outline of the man he had made a whole lot richer just half an hour earlir. He sighed and clasped his hands behind his back. The funny thing was that it had not cost him a nickel. Here in this prosperous crazy gold hungry town there were enough people with enough money in their accounts to keep him living to a high standard for years. He had been siphoning money from their accounts into his own for some months now, and not one of them had realised. This latest withdrawal, to pay off Chambers, did call for some strategy to be involved but he had taken a large amount of the money from an account that would not be used by the owner again\u2026he smiled again, and sighed happily.<\/p>\n Hoss touched the brim of his hat as Chambers passed him in the stagecoach and raised a hand in salute to him. With so much to do in the way of chores Hoss didn\u2019t spend too much time thinking about who he was and where he was going. He had recognised him and now he was out of his mind. Forgotten.<\/p>\n Chambers leaned back and smiled affably at his fellow passengers. In a few hours he would be getting on another stage bound east. He was a whole lot richer and could carve another notch on whatever means of keeping a tally he used. He sighed contentedly. Harry Chambers had disappeared now. For this journey he had a different name. He didn\u2019t want any law enforcement officer knocking on his door and disturbing his wife and family with talk of people getting murdered. In a few days he would be back home, back to his life, and no one would ever know.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026<\/p>\n Adam shivered. He was getting increasingly cold now and he knew that it was due to the shock of the blood loss and perhaps some broken bones. He was able to move his head now and did so, looking about him to try and recognise just where he could have been placed. Nothing looked familiar.<\/p>\n He clenched and unclenched one fist without too much pain, but the other hand was numb. It felt like putty. He closed his eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cFight it. Don\u2019t go to sleep. You must fight this, son. You must not give in to it.\u201d<\/p>\n He forced his eyes open and looked around him. His father\u2019s voice had been so clear, deep and resonant, that he couldn\u2019t believe that he would not see him sitting by his side, as he so often would have been were he ever to be ill in the past. But there was only the darkness in different shades of grey and black.<\/p>\n \u201cYou aren\u2019t going to die, Adam. Do you hear me, son?\u201d<\/p>\n He shivered again. His body was cold but the blood still flowing, although more slowly now, was warm upon his skin. He put his hand to the wound and shivered again as his fingers touched the wet cloth of his shirt. He had almost located the wound site when the effort proved too much and he was drawn back, sucked back into the vortex of unconsciousness.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n \u201cBut, Ma, I want to go now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI told you, Willy, you should have gone when we were in Mr Cass\u2019 store. He would have let you use his wash house.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut I didn\u2019t want to go then, Ma. I need to go now.\u201d<\/p>\n Jenny Perkins sighed in exasperation, and turned to her husband,<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re gonna have to stop, Jim, the boy wants to go.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGo? Go where?\u201d Jim Perkins scowled, and looked at his son with a surly face.<\/p>\n \u201cYou know, he needs to you now what.\u201d<\/p>\n Mumbling beneath his breath Jim Perkins drew on the reins and his two emaciated mules gratefully came to a halt. He looked at his son,<\/p>\n \u201cYou hurry on and get on with your business, boy. I haven\u2019t got all day to waste waiting for you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, Pa. I shan\u2019t be gone long.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSee that you aren\u2019t.\u201d Perkins replied and turned to stare ahead of him, beyond the ears of the mules and to the road ahead.<\/p>\n \u201cBe careful, Willy. Don\u2019t slip on those rocks.\u201d Jenny yelled as her son clambered up the rocks with the skill of a mountain goat.<\/p>\n \u201cI won\u2019t, Ma.\u201d came the shrill reply as the boy suddenly disappeared from sight. \u201cMa. Pa. There\u2019s blood up there. Lots of it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cStupid boy -.\u201d Perkins hissed and raised his hand as though to give the boy a clout across the head.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you hurt? Did you hurt yourself? Where did you get this on yourself?\u201d \u201cUp there. It\u2019s on the rocks.\u201d<\/p>\n Willy pointed to where he had been, and looked at his parents, who, he was sure would know exactly how to handle the matter.<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s get out of here,\u201d Perkins said gruffly, \u201cI ain\u2019t gonna be accused to anything that may have happened in this neck of the woods.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSomeone could be hurt, Jim. We can\u2019t just ride away, \u201c Jenny cried, reaching out a hand to grab at his arm.<\/p>\n Jim grumbled under his breath, but clambered down from the seat, then foraged about for his rifle which he took with his as he followed his son up through the boulders.<\/p>\n \u201cHere, Pa, see?\u201d<\/p>\n Jim looked at the blood that had splattered onto the surface of a rock. He glanced about him, and then squatted onto his haunches. It seemed an odd place to find a splatter of blood. He had been a scout in the army until a few year previously when adventure in the gold fields had been too great a lure for him, but he could still remember the things he had been taught. He crouched down now and began to look about him at the ground, at the grass, and at other stones. Willy heard him give a grunt of satisfaction,<\/p>\n \u201cHere\u2019s another,\u201d he said triumphantly, and pointed to where a small splash of blood had fallen across some blades of grass. A less observant man would have missed it. This was the change and foreseen occurrence that Chambers had warned about and which, had he know about it, would have given him cause for several sleepless nights.<\/p>\n Jim continued in his search and found a foot print, which Willy couldn\u2019t even see even his father outlined it with his finger, and then, at the same time, they both saw the crack in the rock.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s big enough for a man to fall into,\u201d Jim said, \u201cespecially if he\u2019s been hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShall I get a rope? Shall I tell Ma?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou get a rope while I go and have a look.\u201d Jim replied, and gave his son a pat on the back and a smile, \u201cWell done, son.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs this an adventure, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt sure is, son. Now go and get that rope.\u201d<\/p>\n Willy turned and promptly disappeared, calling as loudly as he could \u201cMa, Ma.\u201d \u201cIt\u2019s okay, Joe, I\u2019m coming.\u201d he cried, except that it was just a croak and a whisper.\u201dI;m coming.\u201d<\/p>\n Chapter 22.\u201cJoe \u2026 Joe\u201d \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong, Hank?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAdam\u2019s horse just came in. I think you\u2019d best come and have a look see for yourself.\u201d Hank replied, stepping aside to let the young man rush out of the room and head for where Sport stood.<\/p>\n Sport was a splendid beast. Sound in wither and wind. Yet he stood in the yard and trembled as though he had ran a marathon. He snorted down his nostrils and tossed his head when Joe appeared, his mane clung to the fine arc of his neck, and the nearer Joe came towards him the more agitated he appeared to become.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong with him?\u201d Joe muttered as though to himself and he raised his hand to reach out towards the horse, uttering shush-ing sounds in an attempt to calm the animal.<\/p>\n Sport rolled his eyes and shook his head, pawed the ground, and then stood still as though knowing that he had done what he could, now he had to leave it to the humans to work out the rest for themselves.<\/p>\n \u201cLook at this, Joe.\u201d Hank beckoned and indicated the saddle. \u201cWhat would you say caused this?\u201d<\/p>\n A neat round hole was embedded in the saddle, the cause of it could well have been the death of Sport had it been several inches lower, entering him instead of the worked leather. But it wasn\u2019t just the hole that caught there attention, but the splattering of blood that came along with it. Joe stared, blinked, and then shivered into action,<\/p>\n \u201cHank, Get Cochise saddled for me, will you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo you want me to come along as well, Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe said nothing, he was already running back to the house.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s happened?\u201d Marie turned from the bottom of the stairs to look at Joe, \u201cJOe? What\u2019s happened?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s what I\u2019m aiming to find out,\u201d Joe replied in a distinctly shaky voice, \u201cSport\u2019s come home without Adam, but there\u2019s a bullet in the saddle and blood.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo you think, Adam\u2019s been hurt?\u201d Marie cried, hugging the clean laundry to her body in an instinctive action as though to protect herself from what was about to be told.<\/p>\n \u201cIt seems pretty much that way.\u201d Joe tightened the buckle of his gun belt, \u201cI\u2019ll be back as soon as possible, Ma.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, Joe, I\u2019m coming too.\u201d<\/p>\n He looked at her, and then shook his head,<\/p>\n \u201cNo, he\u2019ll need you here, Ma. Get the room ready for him.\u201d softening then he walked to her and put his arm around her shoulder and drew her towards him, \u201cIt\u2019ll be alright, Ma. We\u2019ll find him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBring him home safe\u201d she whispered, and then she reached out a put a hand on his arm, \u201cAre you sure I can\u2019t come with you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust stay here, Ma.\u201d<\/p>\n She watched him leave the house and then sat down on the stairs, her shoulders sagged. David smiled as she stepped into the office and closed the door behind her, he stood up and walked around the side of the desk towards her and held out his hand to lead her to the chair. She ignored it and stood for a moment to look at him intently.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you all right, my dear? What\u2019s wrong? What are you looking at?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m looking at you.\u201d she replied in a strangely hollow voice.<\/p>\n \u201cYes? Well, what\u2019s wrong? What\u2019s the matter? Do sit down, my dear, before you fall down. Are you feeling ill? Obviously you must be, you\u2019ve had a big shock with your mother\u2019s death and\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, it was a shock. My mother\u2019s death was a shock,\u201d she repeated and her voice trembled. \u201cBut it was a bigger shock finding out the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe truth?\u201d David frowned, his colour began to ebb from his face.<\/p>\n \u201cAbout you. About who was my father. About Remy David Cartier.\u201d she straightened her shouders, \u201cMy mother wrote to you, you know, to tell you about me. She gave me your name \u2026Evelyn Cartier Templeton. It should have been Evelyn Templeton Cartier.\u201d \u201cEvie, you\u2019re distressed. Where did you get this all from? What makes you \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not making this up. I know you are my father. I know your real name. Are you going to deny me all over again? After 20 years are you going to say you don\u2019t want to know me? Then why come here? Why make so much effort to get to know me?\u201d<\/p>\n David shook his head, not in denial, more as a gesture of finality. He beckoned to the chair,<\/p>\n \u201cSit down, Evie. Please.\u201d<\/p>\n This time she did as she was asked. Her legs were shaking now. Her heart thudded beneath the thin fabric of her gown, and she wondered if he could see it going thump-thump. She swallowed the lump in her throat and gripped more tightly to her purse.<\/p>\n \u201cEvie, I didn\u2019t know you and your mother were living here. I came because of someone else that I wanted to see, and get to know again.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMrs Cartwright, you mean?\u201d she narrowed her eyes and looked at him almost angrily.<\/p>\n \u201cYes. I knew her husband before she married him. I .. I wanted to get to know her and renew our acquaintance. But then I saw your mother, and you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou didn\u2019t talk to her, to my mother. You were ashamed of her, weren\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n David said nothing, he sat down and picked up a pen which he twirled between his fingers in a slow revolving motion.<\/p>\n \u201cNo. No more than you were yourself,\u201d it was an unkind remark, and he could see that he had hurt her for the colour rushed into her face and then drained away, \u201cI couldn\u2019t risk Sophia recognising me. But when I saw you\u2026 I knew I had to get to know you. I wanted to meet you, my daughter.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou knew I was your daughter then?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPeople talk. I heard that Sophia Templeton had had a little girl. When I saw you with her, there was no denying who you were, you are so like Sophia as a young woman, when I first met her.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDid you love her?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes\u201d<\/p>\n Evie felt the colour drain from her face and she looked at him with her eyes large and bright in a pale little face, her lips trembled,<\/p>\n \u201cThen why did you leave her? Why didn\u2019t you help her when she needed you so much?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause I was married, Evie.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIn which case \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I know. I should have known better and kept my distance, kept loyal to my wife. Let me tell you, Evie, that I loved my wife. She was the sweetest, gentliest creature on this earth. I loved her so much. But I was young and a fool. I didn\u2019t appreciate what I had until it was too late, when I lost her.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut, you could have still helped my mother, helped me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYour mother was everything Gwen was not, and she gave me what I craved for at the time, something that was not in Gwen\u2019s gift to provide. As it happened, Gwen became pregnant. As she neared to the birth it was obvious that things were not going to go right. There were problems. Then when the child was born, Gwen died, with the child. My son.\u201d his voice shook a little with sincere emotion, and he bowed his head and stared at the inkwell, \u201cThen your mother told me she was expecting our child. It was the wrong time, the wrong moment.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut she needed you, she needed your help. You left her on her own.\u201d Evie\u2019s voice rose to a high shriek, and David rose to his feet quickly, anxious to silent the girl, \u201cNo, don\u2019t touch me.\u201d she sobbed and put a hand to her face to stem back the tears that she had vowed not to shed in front of him.<\/p>\n \u201cI had lost my wife and son, Evie. It seemed cruel fate to have my mistress tell me she was expecting my child while Gwen and the infant were still warm in their grave. I couldn\u2019t handle it. I wanted to put as much distance between us as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou succeeded in doing that very well,\u201dEvie replied sullenly.<\/p>\n \u201cSophia disappeared. Even her family couldn\u2019t locate her. It got around that she had a daughter but whereabouts she was no one knew, or, if they did, they wouldn\u2019t tell me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo why now? Why all the attention now?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause you are my daughter. I wanted to get to know you. Chance had thrown you into my path and I wanted to grab hold and not let go again. I didn\u2019t want to lose you a second time.\u201d<\/p>\n Father and daughter looked at one another. Evie was the one to lower her eyes. She stood up, and turned away<\/p>\n \u201cEvie?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI have to go home and think about it,\u201d she said quietly and then paused, and opened her purse, and took from it the necklace and ear-rings which she placed upon the desk, \u201cYou can have these back now. I don\u2019t want them.\u201d<\/p>\n Her voice was very low, she looked up at him, saw a look on his face that made her shiver inside, and turned very quickly away. Softly she closed the door behind her.<\/p>\n Chapter 23<\/p>\n Jim Perkins scrambled out of the cleft in the rock and slithered across several boulders before he managed to get his feet steady enough to run down to his wagon, negotiating the rocks blindly as he went.<\/p>\n \u201cJim, was there anyone there? I was just getting the rope \u2026\u201d Jenny paused, \u201cWhat\u2019s the matter? You look scared to death.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJenny, it\u2019s young Adam Cartwright. He\u2019s in a mighty bad way. There\u2019s – there\u2019s nothing I can do to get him out of there. Whoever got him there knew what they were doing. If it hadn\u2019t been for our William \u2026\u201d he paused and passed a hand across his mouth, \u201cYou don\u2019t think them Cartwrights will think we\u2019re the cause for this, do you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t be so silly, Jim. Why should they?\u201d Jenny hugged the rope towards her as though the very thought was beneath contempt.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, they can be a pretty wild bunch when riled up. \u201c<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re also a very fair bunch. Now, look, Jim, this is not the time to be thinking of ourselves, we\u2019ve got to get that Mr Cartwright out of this mess. Is he far down?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not so much as him being far down, as the gap in the rock being so doggone narrow. He\u2019s hurt bad, could be dying even. I can\u2019t lift him up through that cleft, not by myself.\u201d \u201cCan I help then, Jim?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, not in your condition. I ain\u2019t gonner risk anything happening to you, and William\u2019s too small and not strong enough.\u201d Jim glanced up at the rocks and chewed on his bottom lip, before turning to his wife, \u201cJen, you\u2019ll have to go back into town with the boy. Get some men out here as soon as possible, and get the doc as well.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAre you going to stay here?\u201d she asked even as she began to clamber onto the wagon seat, with William hurrying to get beside her, \u201cWhat if the person who did this comes back? What if \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t think about them kind of what if\u2019s, Jen, just think what if you don\u2019t git into town soonest you can\u2026\u201d he scowled darkly at them, and turned to go back to the man who was dying in the darkness, alone.<\/p>\n Jenny Perkins said nothing more, but with the skill many a woman had honed to perfection out in the wilds she urged the mules forward and then carefully turned them back towards Virginia City. Just a brief glance to see her husband hurriedly toiling his way back up through the rocks and then she slapped down the reins and sent the mules moving faster than they had done for years.<\/p>\n ************<\/p>\n Hoss Cartwright whistled to himself as he hauled the last barrel onto the back of the wagon. Mr Jenkins, the hardware store keeper, came out to him with a list in his hand, and together they checked the items off one by one. Then Hoss handed over the money and with a mutual smile of satisfaction they parted company. Hoss put his near empty wallet back into his pocket and recommenced whistling. He glanced up and squinted against the sun, then recognised Roy Coffee. He straightened up and smiled,<\/p>\n \u201c\u2019Morning, Roy. How\u2019re things with you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNice and quiet. Just how I like it,\u201d Roy smiled and his eyes twinkled. He liked Hoss. The qualities in the young man shone out to Roy like a diamond shines amongst baubles of glass. \u201cHow\u2019s everything at home?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFine, Roy, jest fine.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis story true about your Ma thinking of marrying the bank Manager?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWal, I don\u2019t know to be exact, Roy. It could be,\u201d he noted Roy\u2019s eyes narrow as though he didn\u2019t like that information much, \u201cthen again, it might not be.\u201d Roy\u2019s eyes widened, and a slight dawning of relief seemed to shine forth, although briefly, he was not one to be too open in his opinions.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, he\u2019s only been here just over a year.\u201d he mentioned just in case Hoss had not remembered the fact for himself .<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Hoss nodded, \u201cI guess we\u2019re all well aware of that, Roy, thanks a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n Roy scratched the back of his neck and was about to say more when Ted Evans from the Mail and Telegraph Depot came hurrying over to them, waving an envelope<\/p>\n \u201cCaught you then, Hoss. This here is the letter that Adam was so fired up about, thought it best to give it to you than leave it waiting for Adam to get back into town.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThanks, Ted.\u201d Hoss didn\u2019t bother to look at the envelope but just put it in his shirt pocket. \u201cBest get going then, Roy.\u201d he nodded over to Ted who was already making his way back to the inner sanctum of his workplace.<\/p>\n Riding out of town Hoss started whistling again. He smiled to himself as he whistled his weird little tune, one he had made up by himself and which changed all the time. He remembered when he was small and Pa had bought him a harmonica. Adam had teased him about making sure not to swallow it, so much so that he convinced himself that he would the next time he took a deep breath, so he stopped playing it. He often wondered what had happened to his old harmonica. Hop Sing would have told him, eventually, having been the one responsible for shoving it in the fire as soon as he could get his hands on it for the sounds Hoss was producing was driving the poor man crazy.<\/p>\n He had to pull up hard on the reins as a wagon came hurtling around the corner of Main Street, and just missed colliding with him.<\/p>\n \u201cDang fool,\u201d he muttered, glaring behind him, and then seeing a woman in the drivers seat he shook his head, \u201cShouldn\u2019t let women drive. No idea of what they\u2019re doing. You\u2019d think they\u2019d never heard of brakes.\u201d<\/p>\n He mumbled and grumbled his way out of town and it wasn\u2019t until he was at the outskirts that his equilibrium was restored sufficiently for him to resume whistling again.<\/p>\n *********<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re going for a ride now,\u201d the deep voice said and Adam smiled, \u201cIt\u2019ll be a bit bumpy, so you\u2019ll have to grit your teeth.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI will, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou have to be quiet, really quiet. Remember how I showed you \u2026\u201d Ben smiled at the child and placed a gentle hand upon the dark unruly curls that dropped over the boys brow.<\/p>\n \u201cSure, Pa. I\u2019ll be quiet.\u201d Jim Perkins placed a gentle hand on Adam\u2019s shoulder and felt a tremor beneath the flesh. He could feel the heat of a body already burning with fever. With a sigh he sat back on his haunches and waited for help to come. He could only pray that it would come soon, he didn\u2019t fancy being alone in the dark with a corpse. The trouble was, he had never really been a praying man before now.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n Adam smiled at his father, who smiled back.<\/p>\n \u201cNow, hold tight, remember, hold tight like I said, and be quiet. Grit your teeth hard.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam nodded obediently. He was determined to stay as quiet as possible. His father gently led the horses forwards, and the heavy wagon followed slipping this way and then that way through the mud. Rain was pouring down in torrents. The earth beneath the feet and wheels were a morass of red clay and muck. Ben ground his teeth together and hauled at the ropes that controlled the lead horse. They were travelling downhill, a rocky slope but currently streaming with rain water that was pouring from the higher hills. He glanced back over his shoulder at the white face of the child who sat as still and quiet as can be, just as he had been told.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s alright, son, I\u2019ll get you there safely,\u201d the deep voice boomed above the racket of creaking rumbing wagon and the slopping of horses ploughing through mud.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Pa \u2026\u201d Adam Cartwright whispered and Jim Perkins leaned forwards to catch the words and then leaned back with a sigh.<\/p>\n *******<\/p>\n Joe felt his heart hammering in his chest as Cochise galloped steadily towards town. Perhaps he was going in the wrong direction but he didn\u2019t know what other way to go. He had only the memory of Adam saying he was going into town to check on the mail and perhaps see if Evie Templeton was alright.<\/p>\n He felt cold sweat bead his brow. Hoss would be in town now, perhaps they had met up together. An idiotic fool of an idea. Did that mean that Hoss was shot too? Joe recalled to mind the saddle, and the bullet hole. Hank had mentioned just before Joe had started to ride out, that the bullet was buried in the padding of the saddle. The blood had sprayed out, leaving a splattering upon the saddle as the bullet made it\u2019s way into the leather. That meant that Adam must have been standing by Sport when it happened.<\/p>\n The whole thing kept going round and round in Joe\u2019s head. The saddle. The bullet. The blood. Hank standing there speculating in that deep nasally voice of his, and Marie standing by the stable door and telling him to be careful. What if Hoss had been hurt too? What if \u2026.<\/p>\n If he could just turn his brain off and stop thinking just for a moment. If only Cochise could go faster. Why didn\u2019t someone invent a method of transport that could get a person from A to B within minutes, except that he didn\u2019t know where B was at the present time. Should he have got some more men out looking for Adam? Would it have helped if a whole bunch of men had ridden out? Oh fool that he was, of course it would have done! Why hadn\u2019t he thought of that earlier? Should he turn back now or carry on? No, no, don\u2019t waste time now. Get into town, and let Roy form a posse if necessary. Perhaps when he got into town everything would be much clearer than it was now.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n The jewellery gleamed upon the desk top. But David Carter did not seem to notice it. He just stared at the door through which his daughter had passed moments earlier. She didn\u2019t want him. She had walked out, turned her back on him, rejected him.<\/p>\n His mouth tightened and he felt the rage beginning to boil inside his gut. No one, no one ever rejected him. He took a deep breath and turned away to face the window. No one rejected him, and that included a newly found daughter, and Marie Cartwright. He allowed a slight smile to touch his lips, as he recalled to mind the fact that very soon now, Marie would come running to him. Sad, tearful, frightened Marie . Then he would console her, and comfort her and reassure her. That would be easy enough. She would soon be showing her gratitude and everything would be just the way he wanted it to be, with no stubborn mule headed young man in the way. And no silly little girl either \u2026 \u201cHANK!\u201d \u201cWhere are you going, Ma\u2019am?\u201d Hank asked as he saw, over her shoulder, Hop Sing bobbing about at the front door signalling to him to use delaying tactics.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere do you think?\u201d Marie snapped, adjusting her hat by it\u2019s cord under her chin. \u201cSure, Ma\u2019am, I\u2019ll see to it right away.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt would probably have happened near the road into town, so that keeps it reasonably tight. I\u2019ll be blessed if I\u2019m going to sit on my backside waiting for those boys to find him. I did that once before\u2026\u201d she paused, and took a deep breath before she disappeared into the stable.<\/p>\n Hank looked over at Hop Sing and shook his head, Hop Sing made an eloquent shrug and disappeared into the house to carry out the orders his mistress had just given to him. He hurried into the kitchen, and began to make preparations to turn Adam\u2019s room into a hospital ward.<\/p>\n Marie was a striking woman, but on horseback she cut a magnificent figure. She was still slim and her riding habit was immaculately cut to emphasise the fullness of her figure. The skirt, cut as riding dictated, mid calf length, so that the long black boots she wore could be seen to full advantage. The colour was a light heather, in a tweed material.<\/p>\n Ben used to say that she was dangerous when she was in her riding gear mounted on her horse. She would say in what way could she be dangerous, and he would laugh and grab hold of her and hold him very close, and growl in that deep voice \u201cThis kind of dangerous\u201d and then he would kiss here.<\/p>\n Sometimes he would whisk her up into his arms and take her back into the house and when she would protest that this would make them late for whatever the occasion happened to be at the time, he would just laugh and kiss her protests away.<\/p>\n She saddled her horse, Mignon, with the speed that was borne of necessity and experience. Then she was galloping out at break neck speed through the yard, and out to the open country beyond.<\/p>\n She slapped the reins against the horse\u2019s flanks to get Mignon to stride out further, faster. The sooner she could eat up the miles the sooner she would know if Adam were alive, or dead.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n The clamour of the triangle being clanged heartily by Mr Jenkins brought David Carter to the main body of the Bank, leaving his office door open. He watched as the customers crowded around the door and spilled out into the street<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s going on, James?\u201d<\/p>\n The bank teller looked over to his Manager and straightened himself up, he had been bent double trying to see what was going on through a gap between Widow Hawkins and Mrs Allen.<\/p>\n \u201cRoy\u2019s organising a posse.\u201d he said, heading for his place behind the counter.<\/p>\n \u201cSeems that Adam Cartwright\u2019s been ambushed on the way out of town.\u201d Clemmie Hawkins offered the information in her usual garrulous manner, while Mrs Allen did a little war dance of her own in an effort to get her few words said. \u201cYoung Jenny Perkins and her boy found him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, they didn\u2019t\u201d Mrs Allen cried in a kind of high pitched squeal, \u201cIt was Jim Perkins that found him. .He\u2019s stayed behind to make sure Adam Cartwright is all right.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs he alive then?\u201d David managed to stammer out, and got a withering look from both women as a result, \u201cI thought, from what you said, that he had been killed.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, not quite. Ambushed, but not killed.\u201d Clemmie said coldly.<\/p>\n \u201cHe could be killed though, it depends if they get to him in time with the doctor. I heard that he was bleeding like \u2026\u201dMrs Allen tried to find a fitting adjective, which gave Clemmie the opportunity to speak,<\/p>\n \u201cNo one saw what happened, you know. He was shot and stuffed down a hole in the rocks, so Jenny said to Roy.\u201d<\/p>\n David Carter nodded slowly and then returned to his office and very quietly closed the door behind him. He leaned against it for a moment and felt cold fury wash over him. He thought of the money he had given Chambers, all right, so the money had not been his personally, but even so it had been a large sum. Now the man had vanished, no doubt with another pseudonym to ease him back into his real life.<\/p>\n He felt a slight touch of panic as he saw his whole plan falling to pieces before his very eyes. If Cartwright lived \u2026 then everything would be over. Adam Cartwright was no doubt the person who had suggested to Marie to post pone the wedding in the first place, in the hope that it would never get to be finalised. Adam Cartwrights influence over the boys, over Marie, was insidious and would constantly undermine his, David\u2019s, efforts to take control of the Ponderosa. If Adam were dead, then his share of the ranch would go to Marie, that had been clear in Ben\u2019s Will & Testament, it would be a fine beginning for his marriage to Marie. He shook his head as though by doing so he could dispel the negative thoughts that had washed over him. He had to think.<\/p>\n He walked to the window and watched as Roy Coffee, Paul Martin and a crowd of men galloped out of the town, leaving a dust cloud that filmed the window at which he stood.<\/p>\n He turned, smiled slowly, nothing really had changed. Marie would be anxious and concerned, whether the man lived or died. Either way she would need consoling and comfort. She would need to feel loved.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n Jim Perkins was snoring. He had not meant to fall asleep but it was something that always seemed to happen if he set his mind to praying. It was a deep reverberating rumble that penetrated through to Adam\u2018s consciousness, and forced him to open his eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cWho\u2019s there?\u201d<\/p>\n The words sounded very hollow, but there was no answer except for another rumble.<\/p>\n \u201cHoss?\u201d Adam struggled, gasped for breath, and with the help of one elbow managed to raise himself forward, just a little,\u201dHoss, is that you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJiminy, did I fall asleep?\u201d Jim cried, startled at the sound of a voice in the cavern, \u201cMr Cartwright, are you awake?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat happened? Who are you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s me. Jim Perkins. Me and my missus and boy, we found you. Jenny\u2019s gone to town to get the doc. We need some help to get you out of here as well.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGet me out? Get me out of where?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWherever it is that this is\u2026a cleft in the rock is what it looks like from up top, but it widens out into quite a cavern inside.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam sunk back. There was little strength in him now to do much. Breathing was getting more difficult. He closed his eyes and released a deep breath.<\/p>\n \u201cMr Cartwright? Mr Cartwright? Don\u2019t you go dying on me in here, Mr Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n Jim tugged at Adam\u2019s sleeve, but there was no response, the young man\u2019s arm moved sluggishly under Jim\u2019s rough handling, but there was nothing else.<\/p>\n \u201cDoggone it, why is it taking so long?\u201d Jim cursed beneath his breath.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n Hoss pulled at the reins of the horses and drew the wagon to a halt as he watched a familiar figure hurtle towards him enveloped in a dust cloud. He shrugged and shook his head as Joe hauled Cochise to a stop, causing the horse to rear up onto his hind legs before landing beside the wagon.<\/p>\n \u201cNow, Joe, how many times have I..\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHave you seen Adam?\u201d the youth demanded, breathless from his frentic ride.<\/p>\n \u201cAdam? Shucks, no. Of course I ain\u2019t seen Adam. He\u2019d left town a good time before I got there with the wagon. Got a letter for him though,\u201dand Hoss tapped his shirt pocket.<\/p>\n \u201cLook, Hoss, Sport came home \u2026 there was blood and a bullet embedded in the saddle\u2026\u201d he spoke in gasps, struggling to catch his breath \u201cI\u2019ve got to get Roy and Doc. Have you seen anyone or anything odd hereabouts?\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss shook his head and shrugged again. He glanced around the wide open space, with its limited amount of woodland. It was rocky and sparse. He pushed his hat to the back of his head,<\/p>\n \u201cLook, Joe, if he\u2019s been hurt, he could be anywhere. He could be back in town already?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWithout Sport? Wounded and walking?\u201d Joe replied scornfully.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere do you want me to start looking?\u201d Hoss said quietly, and loosed the gun in his holster, ready for use should he need it.<\/p>\n Joe frowned, and swallowed. He looked around him just as Hoss had done seconds before, and shook his head.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere do we start?\u201d he asked in a voice that was broken by fear.<\/p>\n Chapter 25 \u201cWhy would anyone want to kill Adam? Do you think it could have been an accident? Perhaps someone has found him and taken him back into town?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe shook his head in denial of such simplistic solutions. He turned Cochise round and looked back to the way he had come. Everywhere there was nothing but rocks, boulders, scree laden slopes mounting higher and higher to touch the bluest of skies.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, Joe, I jest thought of summat.\u201d Hoss cried, his blue eyes widening with hope, \u201cJest as I was leaving town, some fool woman came careering down the main street in her wagon. Nearly drove me off the road. Perhaps she\u2019s found Adam and was bringing him to the doc?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe frowned thoughtfully, and then slowly nodded,<\/p>\n \u201cCould be, Hoss. But, then again, can we chance the time it would take for us to go back to town to find out?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCome on, let\u2019s not waste anymore time, Joe. We\u2019d best start looking.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll carry on towards town. You go on ahead and keep your eyes open for anything that could seem suspicious. Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d reckon there\u2019d be quite a bit of blood in the area.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah?\u201d Hoss\u2019 mouth drooped, and a shiver trickled down his spine, \u201cRight, I\u2019ll look out for summat like that\u2026\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Resolved now to find his brother, Hoss urged the horses forwards. He struggled to hold back the fear that niggled at the back of his mind, and several times found himself getting bleary eyed with tears.<\/p>\n Joe rode more slowly now, his eyes scanning the road, the rocks. He paused to investigate several places on the road which seemed suspicious but there was nothing. The baked solid track remained as innocent looking as always. Frustrated, he stood up in the stirrups and gazed higher about him, then cupped his hands around his mouth<\/p>\n \u201cADAM! ADAM!\u201d<\/p>\n A bird squawked as though annoyed at the noise. He saw a rattler slither into the cool shade of a rock. Nothing stirred.<\/p>\n Hearing Joe call out Adam\u2019s name prompted Hoss to do the same. His voice bounced off the rocks. Then suddenly he saw movement out of the corner of his eye and turned to see a man standing on a boulder, waving a battered hat above his head.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, Hoss Cartwright? Here, up here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n \u201cShucks, I ain\u2019t gonna be able to get down thar,\u201d Hoss muttered as he observed the cleft in the rock.<\/p>\n Joe pushed him to one side and nodded,<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll go down with Jim. It\u2019s probably better if you stay here anyway, Hoss. We\u2019ll throw up the rope to you and you can haul him up to the surface.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss clenched and unclenched his hands nervously, and shook his head<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t like it, Joe. What if it does him more harm ?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t be ridiculous, Hoss. He can\u2019t stay down there.\u201d Joe\u2019s voice rose as anger and panic overwhelmed him, \u201cIt\u2019s his only chance, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n Jim Perkins shook his head,<\/p>\n \u201cReckon on Hoss being right, Little Joe. Your brother\u2019s in a bad way down there. Could be that bringing him up by rope could do him a lot more harm than good. Look,\u201d he said quickly seeing Joe\u2019s face reddening, \u201cJenny has gone for the doctor. Once he\u2019s seen to Adam, he\u2019ll know best what to do.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut that could take time. How much time does my brother have, for Pete\u2019s sake?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJest that I wouldn\u2019t like to take risks with his life, son, that\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe glanced from one to the other, and bit down on his bottom lip, then nodded,<\/p>\n \u201cLet me get down and see him then. Hoss, keep an eye out for the doc.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss rounded his eyes at his little brother as though to say what else would he do but that? He said nothing however, and stepped back to make way for Joe. Just as Joe stepped down through the gap, there came the sound of horses. Hoss put his hand to his gun, just in case, and waited for the horsemen to show themselves.<\/p>\n \u201cHoss? Is Adam up there?\u201d<\/p>\n Roy\u2019s voice floated towards him and Hoss stepped forwards in order to get a better view of who had accompanied the sheriff. He was more than relieved to see Paul, who was already dismounting from his horse.<\/p>\n \u201cWe found him, Roy. Jim Perkins has been with him \u2026 he\u2019s been shot.\u201d Hoss gabbled on, stating the obvious, but needing to say something, anything, as relief over whelmed him as Paul made his way, rather laboriously, through the boulders and rocks, his medical bag banging against his legs as he did so.<\/p>\n The men in the posse, taking their orders from Roy, now realised that the job was done and that the injured man had been found. They wheeled their horses round and returned to town, leaving Roy alone in the road.<\/p>\n The sheriff dismounted and with the thoroughness bred from a long time in the profession, he began to search around for clues. It was all well and good to have found Adam, dead or alive. But a crime had been committed and as sheriff Roy felt it his bound duty to do all he could to find the person who had committed the deed. The doctor could get on with his doctoring, but his task was to find the murderer.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n Paul took a bit of time getting through the gap in the rock. Hoss then lowered his medical bag down to him and then he went to see to the injured man.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s been shot here,\u201d Joe cried, his white face just discernible in the darkness of the cavern, and indicating the wound which was nigh on impossible to see.<\/p>\n \u201cIs there any means of light here? I can\u2019t examine him in the dark.\u201d Paul said quietly, kneeling down beside Adam and taking hold of the young man\u2019s hand. It was still warm, clammy to the touch, the pulse was thin and reedy.<\/p>\n \u201cHoss, we need some candles and matches ..\u201d Joe yelled up to his brother and he heard the scrabble of feet upon rock as Hoss immediately moved to get to the wagon and find the necessary items.<\/p>\n \u201cJoe?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe\u2019s eyes widened with surprise as, not Hoss\u2019 voice, but that of his mothers, floated down towards him,<\/p>\n \u201cMa? What are you doing here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t ask such a stupid question, Joe.\u201d Marie snapped, on her hands and knees and peering down through the crevice into the darkness below, \u201cI want to come down.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s no room, Ma. You\u2019d be best staying there with Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe heard more scrabbling and some dust and small pebbles trickled down the sides of the stones that comprised the walls of the cavern. He saw a bundle of candles being lowered on the rope and gratefully snatched at them.<\/p>\n As light at last gleamed about them, Paul leaned closer in upon his patient and carefully unbuttoned the sodden black shirt and pulled it gently away from the wound. He glanced over at Joe, who looked at him anxiously,<\/p>\n \u201cThis doesn\u2019t look good, Joe. Did you say the bullet was in the saddle?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere was a bullet in the saddle, but who knows how many bullets were fired at him?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJim, could you help Joe to raise him up very carefully so that I can see if there\u2019s an exit wound. If the bullet has gone right through then we can have some hope that he may come out of this mess after all.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam groaned as they lifted and turned him so that Paul could see the extent of the damage the wound had caused. Joe winced when he saw the exit wound, but he knew Paul was right. If the bullet had not damaged too many internal organs in its passage through Adam\u2019s body, then Adam had a greater chance of recovery than had the bullet remained lodged within him. Paul nodded and indicated that Adam could be turned back.<\/p>\n \u201cJoe? Joe? How is he? How is he?\u201d Marie cried from the rocks above them.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s alive, Ma. The bullet went right through, just the one bullet. Paul\u2019s seeing to him now.\u201d<\/p>\n Paul looked up at Joe and then, with a sigh, returned to treating his patient. It seemed to him that Joe had sounded far more optimistic that Paul had actually intimated to him. He opened his bag and began to look for the items he would now need.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n Hoss put his arm around his step mother\u2019s shoulders and stood by her side. Together they waited in the hot sun, gaining strength from the nearness of one another. Marie remembered how, the day Adam brought Ben home, Hoss had gone to her and slipped his hand into hers, and had held it tight. Just like now they had stood together with the sun beating down on their heads, and felt as though their world had imploded in upon them.<\/p>\n Chapter 26 The deep voice came from a vast distance away drawing Adam from the depths of unconsciousness until he blinked open his eyes and looked up into Paul\u2019s face. There were shadows flickering about them, but the intense look in Paul\u2019s eyes captured Adams eyes to focus solely upon him. Paul smiled reassuringly,<\/p>\n \u201cWe have to get you out of here, Adam, and home. Somewhere we can treat your injuries properly and ensure you get the proper treatment. It\u2019s going to be a bit rough from now on, do you understand?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam frowned, and wondered why he had been dragged back to awareness to be told that when he could have remained securely where he had been. He sighed and inclined his head. Joe leaned forward<\/p>\n \u201cHey, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJoe\u2026\u201d the name came through his lips in a whisper, but it increased Joe\u2019s optimism tenfold.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have to get you through the gap in the rocks that you fell through earlier. It isn\u2019t going to be very comfortable.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam frowned. So that was it, he had fallen through some rocks. He had not thought that was the reason for his injuries but Joe seemed to know what was going on. He closed his eyes again and allowed the world and its problems all confined in that little space, to ebb away as he slipped back to the darkness.<\/p>\n \u201cAll right, Hoss, pull away now.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss and Hank Myers, both holding an end of a rope, gently began to haul away so that Adam\u2019s body was slowly and rather more gently than had been anticipated raised towards the gap in the rock, then very carefully hands gripped him and manoeuvred him through it and onto the flat surface.<\/p>\n Down on the track Jenny Perkins, with the aid of her husband and several of the men from the Ponderosa, had transferred the majority of Hoss\u2019 goods from his wagon to their own, leaving adequate space in the back of Hoss\u2019 to accommodate Adam. She was even now arranging blankets upon which he could recline during the journey.<\/p>\n Marie watched as, with great care, they carried their precious burden down to the wagon and set him down. Having tethered Mignon\u2019s reins to the tailboard, she got up and sat down beside the injured man. Once he had seen Adam and Marie securely settled, Hoss took the reins of the horses and set them on a fast trot towards home.<\/p>\n Behind them the little calvacade followed. Paul Martin rode beside the wagon, however, his eyes switching from watching the road to watching his patient. He had known the Cartwrights since before Joe had been born and tended to their every need. His main regret in life had been not being able to save Ben\u2019s life, but then, no one could have done the impossible.<\/p>\n Adam\u2019s eyes flickered open and he looked up to see blue skies and small white clouds. Then a face leaned forward and obscured his view. Marie smiled down at him,<\/p>\n \u201cHello, darling.\u201d<\/p>\n His lips twitched into something resembling a smile and then it faded as his eyes closed once again.<\/p>\n He slipped back into a different world with blue skies and fluffy clouds, and a mainsail billowing out before a stiff but pleasant breeze. Beneath his feet were the firm oak boards of a ships deck, and when he looked up he saw the masts towering up to the sky. This was how it would have been, this was his father\u2019s world before he married Elizabeth and this is what he had spoken to his son about so many evenings around so many campfires on their long journey to the Ponderosa.<\/p>\n Adam could hear voices beyond his dream. Mutterings and mumblings from far off in the distance that didn\u2019t connect to what he was experiencing now. He chose to ignore them and watched as the sea turned green and the ship\u2019s sails snapped taut beneath the onslaught of a fresh north easterly.<\/p>\n \u201cIs he going to get through this, Paul?\u201d Marie asked the doctor as she followed him up the stairs to Adam\u2019s room.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s strong. He has the Cartwright constitution. It depends on how hard he fights to live. It often ends up with that as the only chance a man has got to survive, Marie.\u201d \u201cNo, nothing.\u201d Joe replied and slowly sunk down into the chair with the faded blue back. \u201cNothing at all.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMmm, I wish I could have helped by finding something at least. But there was nothing . If it had not been for the Perkins\u2019 Adam could have died up there and his bones never found. As it is, whoever shot him, did a good job in concealing everything.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah.\u201d Hoss rubbed his hands together as though cold, \u201cIf only I had come along a bit sooner I might have seen something or someone that would have tied this matter up. Even the Pastor didn\u2019t see anything.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat Pastor?\u201d Joe asked, looking at his brother curiously.<\/p>\n \u201cI dunno,\u201d Hoss shrugged, \u201cI thought he was a Pastor on account of his not wearing a gun and talking scripture to me. He\u2019d lost a wheel on his buggy. I helped him get it back on. He said he had heard a bang but hadn\u2019t realised it was a rifle because he didn\u2019t know about things like guns and rifles.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDid you get his name?\u201d Roy asked<\/p>\n \u201cNope, didn\u2019t think to ask, dadburnit. He was a stranger though, just passing through he said. He must have hired the buggy.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell,\u201d Roy\u2019s brow furrowed in concentration, \u201cIf he\u2019s still in town he may be able to give us the only lead we have\u2026 hopefully.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss said nothing but began to chew the side of his thumb. There was something in the back of his mind but beyond reach. He needed time to think. Evie had been unaware of the situation beyond her front door. In her mother\u2019s room once again she had found a ledger concealed beneath the mattress of Sophia\u2019s bed. There were not many entries, some had been written in a firm bold handwriting, others had been scrawled across, shaky and spidery. Evie sighed, the amount of drink Sophia consumed was even evident in her writing. She had wondered, at first, whether to just throw it into the fire but a name caught her eye, and from that moment she knew she had to read everything.<\/p>\n Some entries were vague commentaries on the day. The purchase of a new dress. Offence taken at a remark passed by Mrs Allen. The difficulties of trying to stop drinking – for Evie\u2019s sake.<\/p>\n Evie sat in her mother\u2019s little chair by the window, and with the light falling across her shoulder she began to read her mother\u2019s private thoughts and observations, and details of her life slowly began to merge. With her blonde hair tumbling down her back, and her head bowed over the book in her lap, her face composed and the sunlight on the pink floral gown she wore, Evie looked the picture of a young girl content with life reading nothing more harmful than the latest novel. Had they but known that what she was reading had deconstructured her life, and she knew she could never be Evelyn Templeton ever again.<\/p>\n \u201cThis morning I went out for a short walk. I needed air. This house wraps itself around me and becomes my prison. Drink just numbs the pain. I saw Evelyn. She was talking to a man. I watched her. How lovely she is, how beautiful. I did not know the man. He is tall. Dark. Slim. When he left her he half turned. Oh my, but he so reminded me of Remy.<\/p>\n Evie told me he was the new Bank Manager, his name is David Carter. She\u2019s happy. Pleased with herself. He paid her compliments and made her feel good. I can remember how that feels. I need a drink.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEvie talks a lot about this David Carter. This evening she went out for a meal with him. He is older than her. I would rather she was out with a younger man. What does an older man want from a child like Evie.?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI made an appointment to see the Bank Manager today. I gave a false name just in case. Silly really as the Clerk knows me anyway. Needless to say, Mr Carter was too busy to see me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI keep dreaming of Remy. Oh, what a handsome man he was, I wish Evie could have met him then she would have understood why it was that I loved him, I mean, I LOVE him so much. I wish I could forget. He hurt me so much. Broke my heart. Gave me no help for my child. Which reminds me \u2026 what ever happened to that baby?\u201d<\/p>\n This last phrase puzzled Evie immensely and she made a mental note to keep track of any references to this baby, unless, of course, the reference was an oblique one about herself?<\/p>\n \u201cI saw Marie Cartwright today. She\u2019s such a lovely woman. Does she realise how fortunate she is to have married such a man as Ben Cartwright. I said hello to her and she smiled and said hello to me, but her eyes passed through and over me, as though I were too insignificant to notice. Does she know? I wonder, does she know? She has three sons here, but what if she remembers the other one? If she remembers me from that time in New Orleans?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s talk about David Carter and Marie Cartwright in town. I hear the whispers, and ask Evie. She doesn\u2019t seem too concerned, just laughs and says it is all part of the plan. I don\u2019t understand what she means, what plan? I\u2019ve not been told about any plan. I wish I could get to see this David Carter. Evie says I can\u2019t. It would upset things for her. \u201c<\/p>\n \u201cMy head aches. Evie came home wearing a diamond necklace and ear-rings that had been a gift to her from David Carter. I looked at them when she was asleep. I sneaked into her room and found them on the dressing table. When I held them in my hands I could just close my eyes and remember, years ago, when they belonged to me. I knew how they felt. They were as familiar to me as the my face. I wore them the first night I met Remy. A ball my father gave for my brother\u2019s betrothal. Remy said I looked beautiful. I felt it then. The necklace had been in my family for generations.\u201d<\/p>\n Evie put the book down here and wiped her face free from tears. Her mother said nothing, nothing of all this. Here it was in dark ink upon the paper. But David had said the jewellery had been in his family \u2026 had Sophia been mistaken? Surely she had been.<\/p>\n \u201cI was going to take the jewellery and pay David Carter a visit. I know where he lives. But I\u2019m frightened for Evie. She\u2019s so innocent, such a child. Remy used to say that he loved me bcause I was such a child. Na\u00efve he called it. But this jewellery worries me. What has Evie done to get it? I dread the thought, dread it. If David Carter is Remy then the most gross sin has taken place. God forgive me. God forgive them..I don\u2019t now what to do. Should I go to Marie Cartwright? But how can I? She\u2019ll ask me about the baby and what can I tell her about him?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI walk the floor at nights wondering and worrying. I want to protect Evie, but is it too late? I am sure that David Carter is Remy. Why doesn\u2019t he come to me? I love him and hate him at the same time. I had to think hard and long about how he got the jewellery. It was that mixed up time when his wife was so ill having the baby. He had gambled away a small fortune. I gave him the jewellery then, but I thought he had given it to me back. I can\u2019t remember all the details now. Things get muddled if I try to think too deeply about things back then. Poor Gwen. She was such a sweet creature. He killed her. I don\u2019t mean he strangled her or anything as dramatic as though, he just broke her heart. I suppose, in a way, that is how he killed me, all those years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI was thinking about the baby. I remember how sad he had been when Gwen died and her baby too. It was a difficult time. There were the debts and so much anxiety about whether or not her family would find out about me, and the lack of money. Then the night he came home with the baby. I wanted to know whose baby it was and he said I should not ask questions like that, it had nothing to do with me. It was only a few days old, and so sweet. Big smokey blue eyes and lots of hair. He stopped crying when I held him and just looked up at me. I asked Remy again about him, and he said it was something he was doing for a friend. I didn\u2019t understand but after a while he left, with the baby.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI wonder now how I knew it was her son. I keep thinking about it. I wish things then had not been so muddled. I wish I didn\u2019t have to drink but \u2026 \u201c<\/p>\n \u201cHow lovely she looked tonight. She was wearing the jewellery and so proud of it. Joseph Cartwright came to escort her to the dance. How handsome he is. They make a fine looking couple. I wish to God that some honest man would come and help me. Where can you find an honest man when you need one? But,Evie, Evie, how lovely you are. I hope you never get to realise how lovely \u2026 that would be too bad.\u201d<\/p>\n Evie closed the book and put it away in a drawer along with the sweet scented undergarments her mother would have worn. She knew that like all alcoholics, her mother would have concealed there a bottle, hidden amongst the fripperies.<\/p>\n She walked to the window and looked out into the street. A large group of men were riding into town. She watched them separate and go their separate ways. Two of the men were deputies and they dismounted outside the Sheriffs Office and went inside. She looked for the bank and stared at the door, thought of the man sitting in his office, so charming and so polite. No one knew who he really, and what he had done. They had accepted him without hesitation. Just as she had done, even with a great deal of pleasure.<\/p>\n She turned and picked up her shawl, which she slipped over her shoulders. Then she picked up her mother\u2019s journal and carefully tore out one of the pages which she slipped into her glove. The journal she concealed in her own room.<\/p>\n She needed to get away from Virginia City. She wanted to leave the stench of the corruption and greed way behind her. But to leave, meant a great deal of money. She needed money and where better to get it than from a bank.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026 The clerk closed the door behind Evie, and once they heard it click shut, she stepped forward, closer to the desk. He indicated the chair,<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m glad you came, Evie. Sit down. Let us talk.\u201d<\/p>\n She said nothing, nor did she move to take the seat. He looked up at her. She looked as though something had died inside, as though someone had reached inside her and switched off the essential something that made humans special. Her eyes were serene he had initially thought, but now he could see that they were just remote, cold, vacant.<\/p>\n \u201cEvie?\u201d<\/p>\n She raised her chin. A stubborn little chin, and full voluptuous lips above it, but they were firm and tight now, with no hint of laughter lingering at their corner.<\/p>\n \u201cSit down, my dear. We have to talk.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy mothers dead. There\u2019s funeral expenses to be met, and rent for the house.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou want a loan?\u201d he asked, meeting her coldness with a chill of his own.<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you want then?\u201d<\/p>\n She pulled a scrap of paper from her glove and tossed it onto the desk. She stared ahead of her, looking through the window.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat does this mean? Why did you bring this here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy mother wrote it all down in a journal. I thought you would be interested in that piece, Remy.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t call me that here. It\u2019s no longer my name.\u201d he looked down and re-read the paper, the words of a drunkard wouldn\u2019t hold up in court as evidence, surely? He looked up at her determined face,<\/p>\n \u201cYou want money? I can understand that, you have expenses that have to be met. How much would you like?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow much would you think that piece of paper is worth? How much do you think a journal would be worth? How much to stop me from going to Marie Cartwright and telling her all about it?\u201d<\/p>\n He said nothing for a moment but waved the slip of paper too and fro as though considering it. Then he slipped it into his pocket and stood up.<\/p>\n \u201cThe jewellery you returned to me, you could have kept it and sold it .\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt wasn\u2019t yours to give me, it belonged to my mother\u2019s family.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs that what she told you? Poor demented fool that she was, she didn\u2019t know what she was talking about,\u201d he scoffed with a sneer in his voice, and he walked towards her, \u201cCome with me, I\u2019ll get you some money.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhere are we going?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhere I keep my money. At home.\u201d<\/p>\n She frowned and shook her head. He reached out to snatch at her wrist, but she drew away, and shook her head again.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re a little fool if you believe the rubbish your mother has written. She was no doubt drunk when she wrote it. If you want the money you will have to come with me, otherwise go without.\u201d<\/p>\n She stared ahead of her. Then stood up,<\/p>\n \u201cI could get the money from Mrs Cartwright,\u201d she said in a very quiet voice.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you really think she\u2019ll give you five minutes, child? She has problems of her own anyway, with Adam so ill.\u201d<\/p>\n She frowned, and darted a look at him, one of doubt and concern, then the remote coldness dropped over her features once again. She turned towards him,<\/p>\n \u201cVery well. I\u2019ll come with you.\u201d<\/p>\n David shrugged as though it hardly mattered to him whether she came or not. He opened the door, and pulled it open.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll not be long,\u201d he told his secretary, \u201cThere\u2019s a small matter that has to be dealt with concerned Mrs Templetons\u2019 estate.\u201d<\/p>\n The secretary nodded and smiled. When he and Evie had left the premises the staff there exchanged knowing looks and winks. He had been seen with Evie often enough and rumours were rampant with regard to their relationship. And as for Mrs Templeton, well, everyone knew she had never managed to snare a Mr Templeton so why now keep up the pretence?<\/p>\n Chapter 28<\/p>\n The young man in the bed was totally inert. So far away from all that was happening around him that Marie feared that he was already dead. She looked anxiously over at Paul who was looking down at Adam with a gentle, fatherly expression on his face that caused her even greater anxiety.<\/p>\n \u201cPaul?\u201d<\/p>\n The mention of his name brought Paul Martin out of his reverie and he turned, looked at Marie and nodded, as though in acknowledgement of her unspoken question,<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know, Marie. This is the time we hold our breath, pray and hope that faith in our prayers can work miracles.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs it that bad?\u201d she walked to the bedside and took hold of the limp hand that rested on top of the coverlet.<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t pretend to you, Marie. There\u2019s no point in doing so, but the reality of the situation is very, very grave. I\u2019ve done all that I can -,\u201d he shook his head and once again looked down at Adam. \u201cHe has a concussion. I can\u2019t judge how severe that is because the loss of blood has seriously weakened his system. The bullet missed his vital organs but I don\u2019t know what other internal damage has been done. Perhaps, one day, medical progress will develop some system by which we will be able to see beneath the flesh and bone of our patient \u2026 at the moment it sounds like necromancy to even hope for it.\u201d he released a long drawn out sigh and rubbed his face with one of his hands, while, with the other he reached out for her, \u201cMarie, I can\u2019t make promises, you understand that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve done everything you can, Paul. I can\u2019t and wouldn\u2019t expect anything else from you. Thank you for that,\u201d she said softly, while her eyes looked down upon the still features of the injured man.<\/p>\n \u201cWhoever did this didn\u2019t mean for him to live, didn\u2019t expect for him to be found. He was dropped as casually into that – that pit as if he were a dead dog. It\u2019s a miracle every bone in his body hadn\u2019t broken. He came out of that quite well, some injuries as expected , but minor ones. I think his body was so limp as he dropped down that it was his best protection.\u201d<\/p>\n Marie sighed, and shook her head, trying to remember what Paul had just said, for it all seemed like words, words, that just spun around in her head. She nodded now and smiled blankly, and he picked up his hat, and bag, and turned to the door.<\/p>\n \u201cIf he takes a turn for the worse, give him the medication I\u2019ve left here, and get one of the boys to fetch me back. I\u2019ll be at Mrs Saunders when I leave here. She\u2019s about to have her fourth child, and she usually delivers very quickly. All being well, if I\u2019m able, I shall go on to Jake Fellows to lance a boil.\u201d he shook his head, \u201cLancing a boil\u2026gah, ridiculous!\u201d<\/p>\n The door opened, closed behind him leaving Marie alone with the eldest Cartwright. She drew closer to the bed and pulled up a chair to sit near him. The sun light had gone now. Evening was drawing in. She leaned down and turned up the wick in the oil lamp.<\/p>\n It was a good sized room, with a large window at which the drapes had been pulled across. Hop Sing had removed the evidence of Paul\u2019s ministrations upon Adam, but it were the things left behind that created the greater reminder of what had happened. Adam\u2019s boots, his gunbelt and the black hat, all left on the floor by the closet. It meant everything else had been removed, cast away. It reminded her of the torn and bloodied shirt, the padding upon a wound pumping blood that stained the white cloth with red petals widening out all the time, and the wet blood stains clotted on the black trousers. She shuddered and turned away.<\/p>\n Once before she had seen one of the men she loved cut down in his prime in just this same way. She leaned towards Adam and held onto the limp hand, and remembered how Ben had been brought home twelve years before and how she had held his hand, cold and colourless.<\/p>\n How Adam loved books. She allowed her eyes to wander along the shelves upon which he had stacked his most loved volumes. If Ben had lived Adam would have gone to college. She wondered then in which direction the young man\u2019s life would have taken as a result of a good college education.<\/p>\n Still he didn\u2019t move. She held his hand and longed for the warmth of her flesh to impart life and strength into him. She prayed that there would be some indication that would give them hope to get them through the long night, and perhaps, longer days ahead..<\/p>\n \u201cMa?\u201d \u201cHow is he?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot good, Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPaul and Roy have gone. You\u2019ve a visitor.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI have?\u201d she raised her eyebrows in query, and then looked down at Adam, \u201cI don\u2019t want to see anyone, Joe. Not to-night.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think HE\u2019ll take no for an answer,\u201d Joe said in a manner that made it obvious to her that this visitor was unwelcome.<\/p>\n She brushed aside a long strand of hair and tucked it behind her ear (how odd, she thought, Ben would have done that, and kissed my cheek as he did so .. I miss you, my love).<\/p>\n \u201cWho is it?\u201d she asked as she passed her son by the door.<\/p>\n \u201cDavid Carter.\u201d<\/p>\n He stood just by the settee looking up at the stairs with his hat in one hand, and the other hand clutching at his jacket front. His eyes were bright, almost fever bright, as they watched her descend towards him.<\/p>\n \u201cMarie? How is he?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDidn\u2019t Paul tell you?\u201d she replied with a distinct chill in her voice. She noted how his hand dropped to his side, and he bowed his head. It occurred to her that it was almost theatrical, rehearsed. She closed her eyes for a second as a wave of dizzyness swept over her, and when she had opened them David was standing by her side. She felt his hand on her arm.<\/p>\n \u201cPaul told me briefly, but I wanted to hear from you. A mother can discern more than a doctor.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCan she?\u201d Marie replied and stepped away from him and walked over to her chair. Gratefully she sat down, her legs felt weak and she couldn\u2019t really understand why she feel this way now, when she had been so strong throughout the rest of the day.<\/p>\n Hoss came into the room from the kitchen and viewed the two other occupants of the room anxiously. He paused, then walked forwards and sat down, nodding to David in acknowledgment of his presence,<\/p>\n \u201cHop Sing\u2019s rustling up some supper, Ma. Reckons we need some food and some coffee.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh a good idea, dear, I was wondering why I was feeling so dizzy.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMarie?\u201d David stepped towards her, nearer the big coffee table in front of the fireplace. \u201cMarie, I came to help in any way I can, please let me know what you would like me to do? Could I relieve you at all during the night? Let you and the boys sleep? I\u2019ll watch over him for you.\u201d<\/p>\n She frowned and looked at him thoughtfully, then smiled gently,<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s kind of you, David, but unfair of us to expect it of you. You have your work, you can\u2019t really be spared in town. Don\u2019t think me ungrateful, but I think it better if we, the family, just stick together on this. We\u2019ll be alright.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDear Marie, I know I am not family, but there was \u2026I did think that soon I would be part of it, and as such \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat was then,\u201d Marie interrupted him abruptly, too anxious about her current situation to worry about being considerate to him now, \u201cThis is now, David. I have other things to consider.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIsn\u2019t it my right as your fiance to consider them along with you?\u201d David replied in a gentle soft voice, stepping nearer to her, and reaching out for her hand, \u201cYou know, Marie, the other day, when we talked of love and commitment -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDavid, this is not the time, nor the place.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPerhaps not, perhaps not,\u201d he said as though in compliance to her request, \u201cBut, I love you, Marie, and I don\u2019t want you to ever forget that, nor to ignore the fact that I\u2019m here to help, to do anything\u2026anything at all.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss wriggled uncomfortably in his seat and swallowed hard in embarressment. He looked from one to the other and longed to be able to get up and make his excuses. David appeared to be oblivious of the young man but now took Marie\u2019s hand in his own and raised it to his lips, kissed it gently.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, David,\u201d Marie replied with a tremor in her voice that David mistook for a favourable response to his overtures, \u201cBut we need to be alone tonight. Please understand?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course,\u201d his lips twitched into a smile, but his eyes remained downcast so that she was unable to read any expression in them, \u201cOf course, I understand. Send for me should you need me.\u201d<\/p>\n She nodded, and withdrew her hand from his grasp. \u201cThank you,\u201d she whispered and closed her eyes.<\/p>\n She heard Hoss bid their guest good night, and heard the door close. Then she relaxed, put her hands to her face and burst into tears. Hoss was by her side immediately, his arms, big and gentle and loving, wrapped around her in a tender embrace,<\/p>\n \u201cOh Ma, don\u2019t cry, don\u2019t cry. It\u2019ll be alright.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Hoss.\u201d she held onto him tightly, as though a drowning soul clinging to the last vestige of security left to her, \u201cOh Hoss, what on earth possessed me? How could I have thought I loved that man?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t you love him then, Ma?\u201d Hoss said, surprise loud in his voice.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, no, no. I can\u2019t \u2026\u201d she shook her head and buried her face in his shoulder. How odd, the thought drifted into her mind, he smells like his father.<\/p>\n Chapter 29 In his own room Hop Sing burnt incense to his ancestors and said the prayers that his people had taught their people for centuries. In the bunk house the men tried to sleep, some succeeded. A ranch could not afford to stop functioning no matter what was happening in the main house.<\/p>\n In the shadows the watcher tried to blend further into the darkness as he kept a vigil of his own. He noticed when, one by one, the lights were extinguished in the lower rooms. He saw the lights flicker and go out in the upper rooms. The room he knew was Marie\u2019s remained in darkness. The only room with any light in it at all was Adams. Once or twice he saw Marie\u2019s shadow pass and re-pass across the window as she paced the room.<\/p>\n David Carter was both puzzled and worried. Marie\u2019s reaction had confused him. He thought over the evening of the dance and how they had parted, not on particularly good terms. But he had expected her to run into his arms, to beg him to stay with them and to give her in particular, some consolation and comfort. And, had she done so, he would have provided it willingly. But she had, in effect, frozen him out. Even that moment when he had thought she had shown some emotion, he now realised it to have been a negative one. Marie Cartwright had turned off her feelings for him as effectively as a dam prevents water flowing.<\/p>\n Why? Why? Had she some idea of his connection with Adam\u2019s attempted murder? No, impossible. Had she, in fact, even considered it she would have talked to Roy, and certainly would not have allowed him in the house. But what then? Evie had had no chance to seeing any Cartwright or of telling them anything at all about their connection. So it could not have been anything to do with Sophia and himself and the events that had taken place in their past.<\/p>\n He stood watching the house for some time as he pondered over what to do next. What errors had he made that could now be retrieved and covered over? What could he do to repair the damage between him and Marie? He finally surrendered to the fact that he needed to sleep. It had been a long day and evening and now that the sky was turning purple and the morning star had appeared he realised he had stayed overlong, and had reached no conclusions that would get him out of the dilemma in which he now found himself.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026 Joe scratched the back of his neck and shrugged, then passed it back to Hoss,<\/p>\n \u201cI reckon we should, it might be something we need to know about.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss nodded, and ripped open the envelope, extracted the letter and smoothed it out,<\/p>\n \u201cDear Mr Cartwright,<\/p>\n With reference to your letter in regard to a David Carter, I regret to inform you that I can, at present, find no information that would be of any interest to you. However, I have information on a Remy David Cartier who had connections with the people to whom you referred in your letter.<\/p>\n As this information is private and confidential I would need to have a written request to further this correspondence with you by forwarding the details you require.<\/p>\n I should mention at this point that I have been approached by an unknown person who has been making enquiries about your father and step-mother, Marie Cartwright. As an old friend of your father\u2019s and of your family I did not give him any information, but it is possible he could get it from some other source.<\/p>\n Yours truly\u2026..\u201d Hoss stopped and turned the page over just in case there was more to follow, then shrugged, \u201cWell, that was hardly worth sending.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI wonder who this Remy person is, and who would be making enquiries about Ma?\u201d Joe frowned, \u201cI don\u2019t know about you, Hoss, but there\u2019s a lot of very odd things happening around here, quite apart from the attempt to murder Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s strange, isn\u2019t it, Joe, that someone would take such a lot of trouble to conceal Adam. A gunman would just take aim, shoot him and leave him for dead in the road. Why go to the trouble of concealing \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat? What, Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEr .. I was jest remembering summat.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat was it? Was it something important?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSomething odd.\u201d Hoss crinkled his brow in concentration, then leaned forward, Joe did likewise, their heads nearly touched as a result, \u201cThat pastor, preacher, whoever he was, had lost a wheel, right?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRight! That\u2019s what you said had happened.\u201d Joe nodded in agreement.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was right at the spot where Adam was shot.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAre you sure?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYep. Wal, give a foot or two, but it was right thar anyhow \u2026\u201d he drew in his bottom lip between his teeth in concentration \u201cYou know, it\u2019s odd, because Adam wasn\u2019t shot near that place we found him, someone carried him up there. We know that because the bullet passed through his body and went into Sport\u2019s saddle. He was shot on the road. There must have been a lot of blood there.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo? What are you saying, Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSomeone carried Adam up and dropped him throught that cleft in the rock. Then came back down, covered over the blood in the road, and \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd that\u2019s when I git a mite confused. The man I spoke to lost his wheel and was trying to get it back on agin. But how long does it take to lose a wheel, retrieve it, try to get it on.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cQuite some time, depending on how far it had gone, what damage had been done.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt was hot, he\u2019d barely raised a sweat. I\u2019ve gotta think this out in my head, Joe, because something sure doesn\u2019t add up rightly here.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe sighed and leaned back in his chair, and then got to his feet. \u201cI\u2019ll just go and see how Adam is, and if Ma needs anything. You just stay put, Hoss, and think.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n In the pink room that was her very own private solace from the world, Evie counted the bundles of money once again. She could hardly believe that it had been so easy. All that money, bundles of it, all neatly piled up on her dressing table.<\/p>\n There was enough there to pay for Sophia\u2019s funeral, the very best and fanciest funeral the town had seen in years. There was enough to buy the house if need be, and get herself a whole new wardrobe of clothes. By the piles of money was the blue velvet box that contained the diamond necklace and ear rings. David had said, with a strange smile, that as she was his daughter, and there was no point in denying it now, she should have possession of them. That had been his intention when he had given them to her initially, but now, at least he could make the reason perfectly clear to her.<\/p>\n Whether they belonged to Sophia\u2019s family or David\u2019s all that time ago Evie no longer cared. They were hers now. She opened the box and peeked inside and then closed the lid with a sigh of satisfaction.<\/p>\n She no longer felt grief over her mother\u2019s death. That was over now. She was in a new phase of her life. She had tasted a new power, new authority. She hummed a tune as she prepared for bed and turned down the lamp in her room. David Carter had been only too happy to oblige, to hand over these vast sums of money. Where had it all come from, she wondered?<\/p>\n She drifted into sleep still wondering. She was, after all, her father\u2019s daughter.<\/p>\n Chapter 30<\/p>\n Morning \u2026 a bird sang its heart out, trilling with full throated zeal, the little feathers at its throat fluttered up and down as he sang his song and bathed in the warmth of a new day dawning.<\/p>\n The sounds of the ranch awakening. Horses stirring, smells wafting, life in all its forms and patterns beginning a new cycle. Hope and optimism, despair and despondency, hand in hand awoke with the new day.<\/p>\n \u201cHow is he?\u201d Hoss asked as he joined Marie in Adam\u2019s room and looked down at the invalid, \u201cDoesn\u2019t look much changed, does he?\u201d<\/p>\n Marie shook her head and stood up. Despite the warmth of the morning she pulled her shawl closer around her, and walked to the window. She pulled back the drapes and the sun burst into the room.<\/p>\n \u201cIt seems to have been such a long night, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, it has been,\u201d Hoss replied, looking at his brother thoughtfully, then, with a sigh, he looked at Marie, \u201cI\u2019ll take over for a spell now, Ma. You go and get a rest, have a coffee.\u201d<\/p>\n She smiled and touched his shoulder gently. Sweet Hoss, she could remember him as a little boy, running to her and holding out his hand, or showing her his knee where he had injured himself. He was the one so free with his kisses and unreserved when it came to hugs. The one to bring in the injured creature, big or small, to cry over the demise of a dog or cat, who gave names to the chickens so that Hop Sing had to kill and pluck them out of sight of this sweet sunny natured child.<\/p>\n Hoss sat down and pulled the chair closer to the side of the bed. Adam had not seemed to have moved from when he had last seen him, but he knew, without a doubt, that his brother was fighting, striving to survive. He touched Adam\u2019s hand,<\/p>\n \u201cGot a letter from the guy you wrote to, about David Carter. Remember him? He came round last night, expecting Ma to fall into his arms for help, and gratitude. The guy makes my flesh creep. Ma seems to have got the sense of him now, Adam. She didn\u2019t want him near her. It\u2019s an odd set up.\u201d<\/p>\n The man in the bed said nothing but his eyelashes fluttered as though consciousness was struggling to surface.<\/p>\n \u201cAnother thing that was odd though, about that buggy. You see, I came along not long after I\u2019d heard that rifle shot, and came across a guy in a buggy\u2026only he wasn\u2019t in the buggy at the time. Trying to get a wheel on that he said had come off. Nothing damaged though. Thing is, it was stopped around where I reckon you were bushwhacked. Now, how come huh? Don\u2019t that seem odd to you or am I just being too suspicious? But don\u2019t you reckon it odd?\u201d<\/p>\n He chewed on the flesh of his thumb and scowled. He conjured up the face of the man to whom he had given assistance, and frowned again.<\/p>\n \u201cWheel?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d Hoss leaned forward, nearly choking himself as the word broke into his thoughts and caught him unawares. \u201cAdam? What did you say?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWheel? Not there\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I mean, yeah, it was there, I helped him put it back on.\u201d he stood up, and leaned over the bed, to see Adam blinking confusedly up at him, a slight, very slight colour rouging his cheeks, \u201cWhat do you remember, Adam? Do you recall seeing a buggy without a wheel?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam closed his eyes again. Hoss\u2019 words had triggered some memory in his mind, but what it was seemed very far away and hazy. He raised a limp hand and gestured to Hoss to draw nearer, which Hoss did, taking hold of his hand as he did so,<\/p>\n \u201cWater \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure, sure ..\u201d Hoss looked around, got the glass of water and then gently raised Adam up in order for him to drink from it, \u201cIs that all right? Are you all right? Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam sighed and opened his eyes, and looked at Hoss without emotion. He was tired. He felt drained of any energy, any strength. He wanted only to sleep. He saw his brother\u2019s blue eyes sparkling and the lips on the generous mouth smiling, and managed to muster up a smile in return, a very feeble one that has to be said.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere\u2019s Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019ll be here in a minute, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhere\u2019s Ma?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s been here all night with you, Adam. I jest sent her into her room to rest up a while.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam sighed, he could recall waking several times in the night and seeing her sitting there by the side of the bed. He closed his eyes,<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019re you thinking?\u201d Hoss asked noticing the slight furrow on his brothers brow.<\/p>\n \u201cThere was a buggy on the track. Wheel missing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou saw it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGot off my horse to help. What happened ?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat happened was that someone shot ya, that\u2019s what happened.\u201d Hoss growled.<\/p>\n \u201cShot? I thought \u2026 someone said I fell down \u2026rocks.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHuh, shoved down.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam said nothing. It was all a void. A blank. He closed his eyes and let his mind drift back into the cocoon of dark protectiveness in which there was no pain, no awareness.<\/p>\n Hoss walked over to the window and looked down into the yard. He didn\u2019t know it but had he done that some hours earlier he would have seen David Carter blending into the shadows, staring up at the window. He looked down and saw only the everyday things that he saw each morning. He bowed his head and began to think, to think hard.<\/p>\n Chapter 31 \u201cWell, and what can I do for you two? I hope you haven\u2019t come into town to check up on whether or not I\u2019m dealing with this case of Adam\u2019s ambushing. If you are I\u2019ll tell you here and now that -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s all right, Roy. I ain\u2019t checkin\u2019 on you, that\u2019s a fact. The thing is that I wanted to tell you summat that came into my mind and that Adam -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAdam\u2019s all right?\u201d Roy interrupted abruptly, \u201cHe\u2019s come through this?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s holding his own,\u201d Joe said quietly, \u201cPaul was riding into the yard to see to him as we left. We wouldn\u2019t be here now if we didn\u2019t feel confident that he was going to be in good hands.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s a blessing, then. I was as sure as anything that he\u2019d not pull through this round this time. Now then, what was it you were sayin\u2019, Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWal, you recall I told you about the Pastor and the way I helped him with his wheel ?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI remember, Hoss. I was just about to go over and see about the buggy. See what I could get out of the livery stable Manager.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss licked his bottom lip thoughtfully and then pushed his hat to the back of his head as he scratched his brow,<\/p>\n \u201cWal, Roy, I got me a kinda itch. You know, Adam said that he was riding on home and met up with the buggy without a wheel. Then he can\u2019t recall what happened next. I reckon it was there on purpose.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou do?\u201d Roy surveyed Hoss thoughtfully and then looked at Joe, who nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cI do too.\u201d Joe affirmed with a nod of the head.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, you got this itch too have you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cItch? What itch? No, I ain\u2019t got no itch, I just think it too much of a coincidence, that\u2019s all.\u201d Joe shrugged.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s a fact. Now, Hoss, just hold on thar about itches, I need more than an itch to get this sorted out, I need hard nosed evidence and facts. Now, the only way I\u2019m going to get them is by going out there and askin\u2019 questions of folks. People notice things without even realising it, and they talk, saying things they don\u2019t even realise they\u2019re saying. So, itches apart, that\u2019s what I\u2019m about to go and do.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, but, Roy, don\u2019t you think it odd?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAll right, Hoss, tell me about the Pastor. What was his name? What did he look like?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShucks, I don\u2019t know his name, Roy. I don\u2019t even know if he was a Pastor \u2018cept he said he didn\u2019t know much about guns and rifles as he never used one. He said that those who live by the sword would die by the sword, and I know that\u2019s scripture because I can remember my Pa telling me it more times than – well, a lot of times.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRight,\u201d Roy scowled slightly, and picked his hat up from the peg, \u201cSo what does he look this, this guy in the buggy.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss frowned and screwed up his face and then gave a fairly accurate description of the man he had helped with the buggy wheel. Joe listened and watched Roy\u2019s face,<\/p>\n \u201cYou should be writing this down, Roy. It\u2019s a statement of sorts.\u201d \u201cShucks, Roy, you in a bad mood or summat?\u201d Hoss asked anxiously, \u201cWe came hot footing it into town to tell you what we found out and thought you\u2019d be pleased.\u201d<\/p>\n Roy grunted and slapped his hat onto his head, pointed to the desk and walked quickly out of the building, slamming the door behind him.<\/p>\n \u201cOdd for Roy to get annoyed like that,\u201d Hoss muttered.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you going to write down that statement now, Hoss? Or shall we go over and get some coffee and doughnuts from the coffee shop?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHey, yeah, that sounds just about right.\u201d Hoss grinned, and then his face fell into more solemn lines, \u201cPerhaps we oughta go and check out how Roys getting on with the livery stable manager, Joe. I want to hear for myself what he has to say about things.\u201d<\/p>\n Roy paused in mid-stride and turned to see the two brothers walking close behind him. He sighed. It put him all on edge when the Cartwright brothers chose to \u2018help out\u2019 . Joe was so volatile, and inclined to erupt no one knew exactly when, and Hoss would just follow Joe\u2019s lead, no matter where it happened to take him. He turned to wards them and waited for them to catch him up.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy are you two following me around town?\u201d he asked in a plaintive voice.<\/p>\n \u201cI thought – we thought you\u2019d be pleased to have some company, Roy.\u201d Joe said, giving the Sheriff the benefit of a big smile.<\/p>\n \u201cFact is, Roy, this matter concerns Adam. He could have been killed yesterday, and we want to make sure his killer is found, before he gets another chance.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, that\u2019s right, Roy. If this killer gets to know Adam survived his attack he could well come back and try again.\u201d<\/p>\n Roy said nothing, but looked from one to the other of them and then nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re right. That\u2019s possible. Hoss, you\u2019re a valuable witness for the case. You\u2019ve seen the man who could possibly be the shooter. So, let\u2019s see what we can find out from Jack Mayhew, shall we?\u201d<\/p>\n They looked at one another, triumphant, and Roy sighed inwardly. Together they made their way to the livery stables.<\/p>\n \u201cMorning, Jack.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMorning, Roy. Howdy, Joe and Hoss, how\u2019s your brother getting along?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s going to live.\u201d Joe said quietly, \u201cWe\u2019ve come to ask you for your help though, Jack.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHer-hummmm,\u201d Roy grunted and cleared his throat noisly, \u201cJack, Hoss here met a man yesterday who hired a buggy from you. Tall, thick set, didn\u2019t wear any gun. May have mentioned to you that one of the wheels came off the buggy he\u2019d hired.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack nodded and tugged at his moustache,<\/p>\n \u201cThere was a man came and hired a buggy. Odd, well, he made me feel odd, not that he was odd. He had a cold manner about him, didn\u2019t seem the type to go riding around the country just to see the view and kill time before catching the stage outa here. He wasn\u2019t armed that\u2019s true, but he was carrying a valise with him which he put into the back of the buggy. Now, I\u2019ve been around guns and arms for a long time before coming here, and he had that smell on him of someone who had just cleaned and oiled a weapon. That was odd. I wondered if I had mistaken it, but I\u2019ve a might keen sense of smell. You know yourselves how that oily smell lingers.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDid he mention anything about the wheel coming off?\u201d Hoss asked<\/p>\n \u201cNo, nothing.\u201d Jack said quietly, but there was something I thought I\u2019d show you, Roy.\u201d he beckoned to them to follow him.<\/p>\n In the interior of the building he housed the horses tackle, and also several buggies that he hired out for various occasions. He led them to one and stood to one side, pointing to it.<\/p>\n \u201cNotice anything ?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe scratched his chin thoughtfully, and then leaned forwards to look more closely at the buggy. He could see nothing, and shook his head. Roy and Hoss likewise leaned down and peered at the buggy. Jack sighed,<\/p>\n \u201cDidn\u2019t think you\u2019d see it. Ain\u2019t noticeable, is it? Guess that\u2019s why the killer didn\u2019t see it, which is a good thing for us\u2026not for him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFor Pete\u2019s sake, what is it we\u2019re supposed to see, Jack?\u201d Hoss exclaimed impatiently.<\/p>\n \u201cJust here.\u201d Jack pointed to the body of the buggy, \u201cI had to look hard myself, just caught a shadow of it, then when I\u2019d seen it, it was purely obvious and I see it every time I look there. Told the boy not to clean it down until you\u2019d seen it.\u201d<\/p>\n Roy squatted down onto his haunches and then nodded,<\/p>\n \u201cBlood.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYep, blood.\u201d Jack nodded in turn, and looked at Hoss and Joe. \u201cA handprint in fact. I reckon your brother must have grabbed at something solid to hold onto as he fell. He left a print there.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhich ties the killer in with the guy who hired this buggy\u2026 don\u2019t it, Roy?\u201d Hoss looked at the sheriff with excitement in his eyes, and then turned to Jack \u201cWhat was his name? Where did he come from?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDidn\u2019t give me a name,\u201d Jack frowned, \u201cBut he came from the direction of the hotel Internationale. Said he was going to catch the mid-day coach. Just wanted to wile away the time by having a little ride out.\u201d Jack stroked his chin, \u201cFact is, his money was good. He paid what I asked, and, because of his nature, I didn\u2019t feel inclined to ask questions.\u201d he looked at them as they stood quietly in front of him, \u201cSome folk are like that, ain\u2019t they? Intimidating, kinda.\u201d<\/p>\n Roy nodded and looked at Hoss and Joe,<\/p>\n \u201cSatisfied?\u201d<\/p>\n The brothers nodded. Jack shrugged,<\/p>\n \u201cHe didn\u2019t say much when he came back. I asked if he\u2019d had an enjoyable ride and he just said he had. Then he went back to the hotel. I ain\u2019t never seen him since.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI did. He left town on the mid day stage, as he said he would.\u201d Hoss sighed.<\/p>\n Roy thanks Jack and turned to walk to the Hotel. As he had expected his two shadows followed him.<\/p>\n Chapter 32 She had stuffed some of the money into her purse and her intention was to pay the Undertakers bill. She had to steel herself to do that because Mr Hinkley the undertaker would no doubt want her to see the fruits of his labours\u2026 namely, the laying out of her mother.<\/p>\n From somewhere she had hobbled together some black garments, and found her mothers prettiest black bonnet, rather old fashioned now, but still retaining some sophisticated attractiveness. She tied it on, surveyed herself in the mirror, and then left the house.<\/p>\n She walked thoughtfully away into the town. She did not even notice when she had passed the bank, nor would she have noticed Joe had he not called out to her, several times.<\/p>\n \u201cEvie? Evie, how are you?\u201d<\/p>\n She blinked up at him . It was strange but so much had happened since she had seen him that it made her knees go weak. She actually felt them give way beneath her. As she began to, rather gracefully given the circumstances, crumple to the ground so Joe caught her by the waist.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, Hoss, come and help me here?\u201d Joe called, supporting the young girl in his arms.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat shall I do with her?\u201d Hoss asked, scooping her up into his arms and holding her much like a mother does her child.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll take her into the hotel with us. She needs a strong cup of coffee.\u201d Joe decided.<\/p>\n Roy, in the meantime, had taken the opportunity to proceed to the hotel and was already being admitted into the Manager\u2019 s office when Joe, Hoss and Evie entered the building. Very gently Hoss set Evie down onto the plush cushioned chairs, while Joe rubbed her hands, hoping it would help revive her.<\/p>\n \u201cIs she alright? Do you think I should go and get the doctor?\u201d Hoss asked, looking at the girls pale face.<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019ll be alright. It\u2019s the worry she\u2019s been through, Hoss, and I guess she has not stopped to eat or anything. Girls don\u2019t seem able to handle things like we do.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss pursed his lips and pondered on that, in his lifetime he had realised that women handled things very well indeed, oftentimes, better than men.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll get some coffee ordered.\u201d he muttered and ambled off to find a waiter.<\/p>\n \u201cJoe?\u201d Evie breathed softly through coral lips, and she fluttered her eyelashes more than usual for good measure, \u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou fainted.\u201d he replied, \u201cI guess it\u2019s the worry. Have you eaten anything at all lately?\u201d<\/p>\n Evie frowned and realised that she could not, in fact, recall when she had last eaten or had anything to drink. She shook her head and looked wistfully up at him.<\/p>\n \u201cThen come on, it\u2019s time that you did.\u201d he smiled and took hold of her hand, \u201cHoss will be only too pleased to accommodate \u2026\u201d he paused, hoped he had got the wording right, and smiled again.<\/p>\n Evie smiled as well, and her eyes twinkled. It was not so much at pleasure at seeing her admirer again, but at the thought that were he to know what she had been doing since seeing him last he would \u2026 well, be simply amazed.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n \u201cHere he is,\u201d the Manager said, scratching his brow as though surprised at his own ability to trace the mans name in the register, \u201cHarry Chambers. Placerville.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd he definitely left here yesterday?\u201d Roy said, staring at the entry in the register as though it could reveal more than just a name and place.<\/p>\n \u201cCaught the mid-day stage to Placerville. He was only passing through. A quiet man, kept himself to himself\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDid he give any reason for being here? Business, was it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d the Manager shrugged, \u201cHe went out several times. To the restaurant. Oh, he saw Mr Carter at the Bank, and he did ask me where he could hire a buggy as he wanted to take a look around. I thought, personally, that he may be interested in buying up some land. He looked the type.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDid he wear any pistol at all? Carry a rifle?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, no, nothing of the sort. Just a small travelling case and a valise. He was very particular about the valise. Wouldn\u2019t let anyone else carry it at all. I noticed he took it with him when he went out for his trip yesterday. But, on the whole, he was a pleasant man, although very private.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHas he ever been here before?\u201d Roy asked, turning over the pages of the register very slowly and glancing up and down in the pages.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, never seen him before,\u201d the Manager said, taking the register from Roy and closing it rather sharply.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen did he go and see the Bank Manager?\u201d Roy asked.<\/p>\n \u201cThe day before yesterday if I recall correctly. He didn\u2019t say he was going there, but I saw him in the bank, because I was there myself, making a deposit.\u201d<\/p>\n Roy nodded. He pursed his lips thoughtfully. Well, at least he knew now where he was going to make his next visit.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026 \u201cYou must have felt very lonely,\u201d Joe said in a hushed voice, especially used for plaintive females, and he took hold of her hand and held it in both of his, \u201cI wish I could have been there to help you, Evie, but we had troubles of our own.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh?\u201d she looked at him, then Hoss, \u201cWhat kind of troubles?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAdam got ambushed. Someone shot him.\u201d Hoss said quickly, in his usual tone of voice. No pussy footing around where Hoss was concerned, no matter how long a dame\u2019s lashes happened to be\u2026<\/p>\n \u201cShot? Adam?\u201d she cried, and brought her hands to her mouth as though to stifle a cry, which resulted in her dropping her purse. Gallant as ever, Joe stooped down to pick it up, and as he did so, quite a number of notes \u2026 dollar notes \u2026 tipped out onto the floor. \u201cI\u2019ve got bills to pay.\u201d Evie said and sighed heavily, \u201cThere\u2019s Momma\u2019s funeral. I want her to have the very best. She didn\u2019t get much out of life, the least I can do is give her a fine farewell. I want a glass carriage, the best coffin \u2026flowers\u2026\u201d her voice trembled, and the sudden on rush of reality crashed in upon her, this was her Mother of whom she was talking, her Mother who would never say kind sweet things to her, drunk or sober, ever again.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s alright, Evie, I understand.\u201d Joe patted her hand and looked into her face, and sighed when he saw a tear trickle slowly down her cheek, \u201cShucks, when you think about it, we could have been arranging a funeral of our own in the family if it hadn\u2019t been for the Perkins family finding Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, Joe, Hoss, I am so sorry about Adam, I truly am. I had been so immersed in my own problems and such that I didn\u2019t even hear about it, or, if I did, I – I kinda forgot,\u201d she put a hand to her temple, as though suddenly realising that she had lost a whole day and not been aware of anything that had been going on, except for \u2026 well, best not for Joe to find out about that! \u201cDo you know who did it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d Joe said with another sigh.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Hoss said adamantly \u201cIt was a big guy, visitor to Virginia City, called Chambers.\u201d<\/p>\n She looked at them both blankly, and then shrugged very slightly,<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry, I don\u2019t know anyone by that name at all. Well, I had better go. Thank you so much for the coffee and cake, Hoss. Please give your mother and Adam my regards. I\u2019d better go and arrange things with the Undertaker and pay off my Mother\u2019s debts.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHave you enough money, Evie?\u201d Joe asked in true concern and willingness to help a friend in need.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, thank you,\u201d she said sweetly and smiled. She was still smiling as she left the hotel as she thought to the mound of money piled neatly in her hat box.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n David Carter was not too happy when he saw Roy enter his office. He nodded and smiled and indicated the chair for the lawman to sit. Roy remained standing, but took off his hat. \u201cNot really. Just an enquiry.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAbout ..? Your account, perhaps?\u201d David felt his heart beat quicken. He straightened his back, waited, and prepared himself.<\/p>\n \u201cYou heard about young Cartwright getting ambushed?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI did,\u201d David replied with a nod of the head by way of emphasis, \u201cI\u2019ve been to see Marie, and offered her any help I can give.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt seems that there was a stranger in town over the past few days. A man called Harry Chambers. Would you know him?\u201d Roy\u2019s eyes looked straight into David\u2019s, a slightly myopic gaze as he was not wearing his spectacles, but to David it seemed as though the sheriff could read his mind like a book.<\/p>\n David spent several seconds thinking of what to say \u2026 if he denied Chamber\u2019s having been anywhere in the Banks vicinity, and it was proven by witnesses that he had been, then what doubts would arise in Roy\u2019s mind? If he said yes, he had met him, where would it lead?<\/p>\n \u201cHarry Chambers? Was he a biggish man, with a deep voice?\u201d he said slowly, looking at Roy for a clue as to where this would go now,<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know about his voice, but that kinda fits. You know him?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know him personally, no.\u201d David replied, and once again gave the sheriff the benefit of a smile,\u201dHe came here to withdraw money. As he had no account with this bank I obviously had to see him and arrange for the money to be handed over to him.\u201d David frowned, \u201cHe took quite a large sum of money from us.\u201d<\/p>\n Roy thought the statement over in his mind. It seemed strange that anyone would come into town and withdraw large sums of money, but then, he had an hotel bill to pay off, perhaps other things also, but somehow it seemed out of the ordinary way of things.<\/p>\n \u201cDid he give you any indication of his business here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe said he was in retail,\u201d David said quickly, \u201cand was considering setting up business here in Virginia City sometime in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd did he give you his address? A man making a large withdrawal from a Bank would, no doubt, give you his address.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course,\u201d David swallowed, and pulled over a large red book, \u201cHe lives at 308, Mapel Street, Placerville. He gave me his bank details as well\u2026 obviously, I would need those.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI should imagine they would be on the bankers draft he\u2019d give you to cover the amount of the withdrawal.\u201d Roy drawled, looking up at the Bank Manger from hooded eyes, as he appeared to be scribbling down Chamber\u2019s address in a notebook.<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d David said hesitantly, and he lowered his own eyes, \u201cBut those kind of details are confidential.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot to the law they ain\u2019t, and not in the case of murder.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut there hasn\u2019t been a murder.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf Adam dies, it will be murder.\u201d Roy intoned and gave David a narrow eyed look, before putting the notebook in his pocket.<\/p>\n David said nothing, but merely pursed his lips. He had told enough of the truth but had tripped himself into a cul-de-sac. All he could do was hope he could think of some way of backing out of it.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll be back for the details should I need \u2018em. Let\u2019s hope he\u2019s a bonafide retail businessman with a solid bank account in Placerville, otherwise, your Bank will have handed over a lot of money for nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n David watched the Sheriff leave and his heart beat thudded as the door closed. It didn\u2019t pay to under estimate Roy Coffee, and David was just realising that to his cost.<\/p>\n Roy, on the other hand, thought over his interviews as he wandered back to his office. They had all been pretty sound, but of all the men he had seen that day, David Carter was the only one who had broken out in a sweat during the course of his questioning.<\/p>\n Chapter 34 Roy nodded, without looking up, but continued to write,<\/p>\n \u201cHow long do you think it\u2019ll take me to catch up with the Placerville stagecoach that left town yesterday afternoon, young feller?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll go, won\u2019t we, Hoss?\u201d Joe slapped his brother on the chest and did a half turn around, but was stopped from going any further by Hoss holding him back,<\/p>\n \u201cNo point in doing that, Joe,\u201d Hoss frowned, \u201cIf he does live in Placerville he\u2019ll have got there by now and settled back into his own life, whatever that might be, but not retail.\u201d<\/p>\n Roy quirked an eye up at the big man, and then resumed looking and concentrating on his writing, then he leaned back and smiled, picked the paper up and passed it over to them,<\/p>\n \u201cHand that into the Telegraph depot and ask them to send it off right away. I want a reply from the Sheriff at Placerville as soon as possible, if not, sooner.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHey, Roy .\u201d Hoss looked at the Sheriff as though Roy had restored his faith in all mankind, and Roy accorded him a bristling smile in return.<\/p>\n \u201cRight, boys, be quick about it. I have things to do.\u201d Roy announced, and watched as they left the office, Joe reading the words on the piece of paper as he went.<\/p>\n With the door shut behind them Roy relaxed and leaned back in his chair. He took off his spectacles and closed his eyes. Now, time to do a bit of cogitating\u2026<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n Marie watched as the young man in the bed took his medicine, grimaced, and shook his head, she smiled,<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve hardly changed from when you were a boy, Adam. You never did like taking your medicine.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam said nothing but settled back into the pillows. He looked over at Marie and then returned to stare up at the ceiling,<\/p>\n \u201cWho do you think would be behind this, Marie?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTrying to kill you?\u201d Marie pulled up a chair and sat down. From her work basket she produced a pair of socks, Adam recognised them as a pair of Hoss\u2019. She examined them carefully, then got out her needle and matching wool. \u201cI don\u2019t know. But then I could never fathom out why anyone would want to kill your father.\u201d she threaded the needle and pulled the wool through, and deftly began to darn the sock.<\/p>\n \u201cWe know who hired those killers. It was Jacob Kerney. He owned the biggest mine in the area and wanted our land to mine on. Pa refused. It took Kerney a year of trying to persuade Pa before realising that Pa wouldn\u2019t give in to him. That was when he decided to kill him. He thought if Pa was out of the way we would just fold in and give in to his demands.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe offered a fair price.\u201d Marie replied with a sarcastic twist to the smile on her lips.<\/p>\n \u201cBefore he was taken for trial and hanged for murder along with his men.\u201d Adam closed his eyes. He hated thinking back to those days. Hated it. He raised his arm and covered his eyes with it, clenched his fingers into a fist.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you think that someone hired a hitman to shoot you, so that \u2026\u201d she paused and shook her head, \u201cNo, I can\u2019t think of any reason for anyone doing so. We\u2019ve had no pressure to sell anything, no rustling, no wrangling about anything at all in fact.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo you think then, Ma, that this was just a random chance encounter of an extraordinary kind?\u201d he asked with a wry grin, his eyes still hidden by the arm across them.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, how could it be? Unless you were not meant to be the victim.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA bit of a clumsy error on the part of the killer, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n She said nothing to that, but continued to darn Hoss\u2019 sock. She sighed,<\/p>\n \u201cYour brother is so heavy on his feet. He wears out socks quicker than anyone I know.\u201d she murmered.<\/p>\n \u201cWho\u2019s Remy?\u201d Adam asked suddenly, as a thought crossed his mind.<\/p>\n \u201cRemy?\u201d Marie looked up, as colour rushed into her face, \u201cWhy did you ask about him?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Adam replied honestly, \u201cIt just came into my head. Sophia saw Remy at the social. She saw him and called out to him. It was almost the last thing she did, except for the conversation she had with you.\u201d he removed his arm and looked thoughtfully at her, \u201cShe must have known she was dying. Remy was strong on her mind but she didn\u2019t want her daughter, she wanted you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat has nothing to do with your being shot down in cold blood, Adam.\u201d Marie said with a slight shrug of the shoulders.<\/p>\n Adam frowned. He had known Marie for 18 years now, and knew all the little feminine tricks that she would use so knew that she was now trying to hedge for time, thinking of something to sidetrack him from this line of conversation. Sophia had obviously told her something that Marie did not want to discuss with her nearest and dearest.<\/p>\n He observed her in silence for a while. She had been a beautiful young bride when Ben had brought her to the house, and she had given them all the love she could, easily accepted by Hoss, not quite so easily by himself. But not for long, by the time Joseph had arrived he had fallen in love with her himself, and was as charmed by her coquettish ways as his father.<\/p>\n But the years had passed and been hard ones at that, for all of them. The loss of Ben, the rigours of life, take their toll. Even on the lovely Marie, who sat so calmly darning Hoss\u2019 socks, while, Adam knew, she was scheming on how to get him to change the conversation. He smiled craftily,<\/p>\n \u201cOf course, I could always ask David.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOoh,\u201d Marie exclaimed and pulled her hand away from the sock quickly, for the needle had pierced the skin and a bead of bright red blood appeared at the tip of her finger.<\/p>\n \u201cYou should use your thimble,\u201d he admonished as though he had said nothing out of the ordinary beforehand.<\/p>\n \u201cI haven\u2019t got one,\u201d she replied, and looked at him sharply, \u201cWhy did you mention David?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause \u2026\u201d Adam frowned, \u201cBecause Sophia was looking at him when she called out for Remy.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat doesn\u2019t mean anything. She may have been looking at you. Whoever she was looking at must have reminded her of this \u2026 Remy.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDavid looked pretty shaken up, confused, scared even.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNonsense.\u201d she sucked at her finger and shook her head.<\/p>\n \u201cHe was very interested in Pa\u2019s Will.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWas he?\u201d she looked at him, recalling to mind previous conversations she had had with Adam about David and Ben\u2019s Will. \u201cAdam, I really am not interested in David Carter and his interest in anything.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe even had Evie Templeton accompany you to the Attorneys, so that she could steal the papers he wanted, and I caught him rummaging through Pa\u2019s papers.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFor goodness sake, you have an obsession about the man!\u201d she scolded, with a slight frown on her face.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t like him, that\u2019s true enough.\u201d Adam agreed.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t want to talk about him anymore.\u201d Marie shrugged again, and Adam smiled. One of the things that fascinated men about Marie were the gestures she used. A hint of her heritage, French. He had loved especially her ability to speak in the French dialect spoken in New Orleans and known as Creole. When she was really angry, or in a passion about something, she could slip into the dialect as easily as Hop Sing could mumble in Cantonese.<\/p>\n \u201cOdd though ,\u201d Adam said softly, half closing his eyes, \u201cthat it was David Carter who told us about your son.\u201d<\/p>\n Marie said nothing. The colour rose in her cheeks and faded. She stood up and shook her head,<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t want to talk about this person anymore. That\u2019s enough, Adam. Enough!\u201d<\/p>\n Adam frowned, and watched her through his half closed eyes. She was anxious, very anxious, about something. He could tell by her agitation that he had hit a nerve, a raw nerve. Whether it was about David, or whether just mentioning the child, her first born son of whom they had known nothing, he could not tell. He did know Marie well enough to take her advice, and say nothing more.<\/p>\n She left the room quickly and Adam bit his bottom lip and regretted having pushed the subject so far. He had obviously hurt her feelings in some way, but in what way he could not tell. A wave of weariness swept over him. He should get out of bed and go and reassure her that all was well, there was nothing about which to worry about now. But when he tried to move his legs realisation struck him at just how weak he was and how desperately he wanted to go back to sleep.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n \u201cHow much longer do you think we need to wait?\u201d Joe asked his brother, and glanced up at the clock.<\/p>\n \u201cI dunno.\u201d Hoss replied, and sighed, \u201cLook, Joe, we\u2019ve been here all morning, and it\u2019s past mid-day. I\u2019m starving. Can\u2019t I just go and have summat to eat now?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGo ahead, Hoss, go ahead. I\u2019ll just wait here on my own,\u201d Joe sighed, \u201cas usual.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss gave his brother a darkening scowl, but decided, when his belly gave another protesting rumble, that he just could not hold out any longer. He picked up his hat and promptly departed.<\/p>\n It was good to be out of the stuffy old telegraph offices anyhow. The sunlight bounced off the clapboard buildings and dazzled the eyes somewhat, but it was good to be out on the street again. He walked over to the hotel and into the restaurant. His stomach lurched in anticipation.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n David Carter stood at the window with his hands clasped behind his back. There was no doubt about it, he had got himself cornered, but at the same time he had to give Roy some reason for Chamber\u2019s visit to the Bank. Perhaps he should have said the man had come to discuss opening an account? But, whatever, it was too late now. The die was cast. How could he lie himself out of this one?<\/p>\n He opened the door to the outer area of the Bank and surveyed the counters. Only one teller on duty and he was busy dealing with a customer. David walked to the counter nearest to him and looked through the drawers. It took hardly any time at all to filch out the necessary documents needed. He took them back to the office and sat back behind his desk.<\/p>\n Things were getting muddy. He hated it when things began to go just that little bit awry. There was Evie for a start with her demands for money, and Sophia\u2019s journal. How much and just what had Sophia written down? What did Evie know? Could she really blackmail him again? When, he told himself, had a blackmailer ever seen reason for stopping? Hadn\u2019t he tried a hand at him himself from time to time ?<\/p>\n She had taken a lot of money. More than he had wanted her to, and more than he felt she had been entitled to despite what she was threatening him about. David suddenly felt the need for fresh air. The room was closing in on him.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n \u201cHi, Paul.\u201d<\/p>\n Paul Martin looked over and nodded at Hoss, stood up and came over to his table. He pulled out a chair and sat down,<\/p>\n \u201cWell, Hoss, you don\u2019t look overly concerned about your brother.\u201d he said with a smile.<\/p>\n \u201cI knew he was in a good hands.\u201d Hoss smiled, and looked into the doctor\u2019s honest eyes, and knew he had nothing to worry about, although his heart had given a lurch when he had seen Paul\u2019s broad back at the table next to him, \u201cHow was Adam when you left him?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDoing well. He\u2019s very weak due to loss of blood, of course, but the concussion was not as bad as I had feared. His arm should mend quite naturally enough, as should the other breaks he\u2019s incurred. Rest, rest and more rest. It won\u2019t do him any harm.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI sure could do with a rest.\u201d Hoss grumbled, and he cut a wedge of steak and stuffed it into his mouth, \u201cLittle Joe\u2019s been running me ragged.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sure he has,\u201d Paul smiled, and stood up to return to his own meal, \u201cHoss, make sure that Adam does get proper rest, won\u2019t you? He was badly hurt and I wouldn\u2019t want him thinking he could wrangle cows and break horses too soon, otherwise it will ruin everything I\u2019ve been trying to do.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss nodded and promised to keep Adam tied to the bed, if needs be. He continued to eat his meal while his mind roamed over the mornings events. He had just about finished eating when Joe appeared, and pulled out a chair.<\/p>\n \u201cHoss, guess what?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTell me, I ain\u2019t in the mood for guessing.\u201d Hoss replied<\/p>\n \u201cRoy got a reply from the Sheriff in Placerville.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUh-huh.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere ain\u2019t no one by the name Harry Chambers in Placerville.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow sure are they of that?\u201d Hoss frowned, putting down his fork in annoyance.<\/p>\n \u201cAs sure as they are that there ain\u2019t no Maple Street in Placerville.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere ain\u2019t?\u201d Hoss screwed up his face and shook his head,\u201dShucks, you mean that hombre lied?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFor Pete\u2019s sake, Hoss, a guy that tries to murder someone isn\u2019t going to worry about lying, is he?\u201d Joe replied scornfully.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t that beat all?\u201d Hoss exclaimed, \u201cJest when we thought we had got the critter cornered.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe nodded and then noticed Paul at the next table. Like his brother before him he asked about Adam\u2019s condition and was told the same thing.<\/p>\n \u201cCome on, Hoss, let\u2019s get back home. We\u2019ve work to do.\u201d Joe sighed, and pushed back his chair, \u201cI want to see Adam, make sure he\u2019s alright.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe isn\u2019t exactly going anywhere, Joe.\u201d Hoss muttered, seeing his hopes of another portion of apple pie disappearing like mist before the sun.<\/p>\n \u201cMmm, I\u2019m just worried, that\u2019s all. I don\u2019t like it when people vanish into thin air.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cChambers didn\u2019t vanish, he went on the stagecoach to Placerville. I told you, Joe, I saw him with my own eyes.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe said nothing but shook his head. Itches were catching, he surmised, for some reason or other, he had an almighty big itch all of his own now,<\/p>\n \u201cHe didn\u2019t get to Placerville,\u201d he said, as Hoss matched his own stride to his brothers, and they left the restaurant.<\/p>\n They stood out on the sidewalk, and looked about them, while Hoss thought about what Joe had said,<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you mean, Joe? It\u2019s a direct route through to Placerville.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWith an overnight stop.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh. Yeah.\u201d Hoss groaned.<\/p>\n \u201cFor a start, according to the sheriff in Placerville, no one called Harry Chambers got on the stagecoach, although a man of his description did, but he was called Tom Jefferson. At the relay station this Tom Jefferson went out for the night air, took a horse, and disappeared into the wilds. No one saw him after that, and he certainly didn\u2019t arrive in Placerville. Anyway, as I already said, the address Roy was given was a false one as well.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShucks. So Harry Chambers known also as Tom Jefferson has just vanished?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s what I just said, brother.\u201d Joe sighed, and pushed back his hat so that a lock of dark hair flipped forwards and curled upon his brow.<\/p>\n \u201cThat ain\u2019t no good.\u201d Hoss stared into the street and saw nothing, \u201cThat means all our leads have led – nowhere.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe winced. It was a horrible thought, but Hoss was right. They had come full circle and ended up nowhere.<\/p>\n Chapter 35 Evie looked down at her mother and realised at last that her mother had been beautiful, and had been happy and young. She could have given away the burden of an illegitimate child, she had the family position and wealth to have done so quite easily. Others had done so. Instead she had taken the child and reared her, alone, in a hostile world, a harsh world. It had been a world that had not accepted either of them with warmth, had not taken them to its bosom, but rather, had made the way as difficult as possible. No family member had reached out to help, no friend had stood by the support them. Sophia had contrived and worked for them both. Evie felt tears well up in her eyes as she thought of how easy her mothers life would have been had she not made the supreme sacrifice for a child. There had been no other man in her life, although with her looks and sweet nature she had attracted many. She had spurned them all, because there had always been a condition attached to any relationship, and it had been to get rid of Evie. Sophia gave all her love to the child, received little in return and so sought solace in drink.<\/p>\n Evie bowed her head, and watched a flame flickering from the wick of a candle set beside her mothers head. Gently she placed the flowers she had bought on the pillow upon which her mother reclined. Then she leaned forwards and kissed the cold brow.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Momma. I should have been a better daughter. I should have loved you more, you should have loved me less.\u201d<\/p>\n Mr Hinkley stood by the door and watched the pretty young girl pay her respects to the dead woman. He had known Sophia Templeton since she had arrived in Virginia City, with a small child clutching at her skirts. Like many he had had little to do with them, Mrs Hinkley didn\u2019t \u2019approve\u2019 of such people in town. Such a narrow minded hypocritical attitude, he thought now, as he surveyed them from the shadows.<\/p>\n He wondered whether he should mention to the girl that he had had a previous visitor earlier that morning. The Bank Manager had been, with a single red rose, which he had set beside Sophia\u2019s body. He had said nothing, niether to Hinkley or to Sophia, but he had looked down upon the dead woman with such an expression of sadness, misery and longing that Hinkley had wondered, speculated, considered the visit from just about every angle.<\/p>\n He watched as Evie turned towards him, and he saw the expression on her face, and then, of course, he knew. He could see it as clearly as though he had just read her birth certificate (if she possessed one).<\/p>\n \u201cI want to make the arrangements for Momma\u2019s funeral, please.\u201d she said in a small, childlike voice.<\/p>\n \u201cOf course, come into my office, dear.\u201d<\/p>\n She turned at the doorway, and took a last look at her mother. She blinked, and a tear glistened its course down her pale cheek.<\/p>\n ***********<\/p>\n Adam woke up with a start. He had been in such a deep sleep that for a moment he could not recall what had happened or where he was now. He heard the sounds from the yard and slowly memory returned. He looked about the room. There was no sign of Marie. No sound or sight of his brothers. He tried to sit up, but found it too painful, too difficult. He closed his eyes.<\/p>\n \u2018I have to think,\u2019 he told himself, \u2019there must be a reason for all this. Where is everyone? No, let me think now\u2026 where does the thread start, where did it all begin?\u201d<\/p>\n The door opened and Hop Sing came into the room, he smiled at the invalid and nodded over at him as he balanced the tray in his hands which he placed onto the table beside the bed.<\/p>\n \u201cYou eat now, get back strength, get back health.\u201d he admonished the sick man, and began to plump up pillows and help Adam into a sitting position.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere\u2019s Ma? Are the boys here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBoys gone into town. Big investigation. Missy downstairs making special cake.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam frowned, this was not, oddly enough, a good sign. When Marie took over the kitchen to bake cakes it meant she had a lot on her mind and sorting out how many eggs went into the mix seemed to unravel whatever was tangled up in her head. He had known her long enough to know this procedure by heart. Occasionally they had had \u2019special cakes\u2019 as Hop Sing referred to them, almost every day of the week. Oftentimes they never ever found out the reason why! They had simply concluded it was a \u2019woman\u2019s thing\u2019.<\/p>\n \u201cHas Carter been here, Hop Sing?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOne time only, last night. He not stay long. Missy said for him to go.\u201d Hop Sing smoothed over a serviette and brought over a plate of chicken noodle soup.<\/p>\n \u201cHow was Ma after that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhen he gone?\u201d Hop Sing nodded, \u201cMissy fine, very fine. We can say goodbye Mr Carter.\u201d and he smiled enigmatically, but the satisfaction gleamed in his sloe black eyes to such an extent that Adam could only return the smile with one of his own.<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n Marie added three eggs to the mix, a dash of olive oil, water and began to beat hard. What was all this going on in her head? She beat at the mix as tears trickled down her cheeks.<\/p>\n She saw herself a young girl, married to a dear kind loving man. She remembered the touch of his hand, and the kiss on her cheek as she had lain in the big bed, supported by fat lace trimmed pillows, and her baby in her arms. A beautiful baby. Lots of dark hair and smokey blue eyes. Jean had been so proud. He had laughed like a little boy. He had even clapped his hands and then taken the child into his arms and she had lain back and watched them, content and proud and happy. So happy except for one dark cloud that always hovered over their lives. Jean\u2019s mother. Proud, possessive, aristocratic. Cold,, cruel, calculating. Madame, as she preferred to be called, had been like a black raven spreading out long dark wings over their household, its talons extended to grasp and snatch away at their joy in each other.<\/p>\n She had loved him passionately and had believed herself to be equally well loved. When the child had been born, a boy, a son, their joy in each other had been complete. Ev en the dark shadow of his mother had not been allowed to intrude into their lives.<\/p>\n But then she had become ill. She had slipped into this malaise only days after their son had been born. She could remember hazy figures by her bedside, and hands tending to her. She had heard Jean\u2019s voice whispering words of love to her. In the background she had heard the crying of her baby. Her breasts had become engorged by milk\u2026 she needed the baby to feed from her. But there had been no baby. Suddenly there had been no baby. Her illness became worse and she knew she was hovering on the doorway to death.<\/p>\n As she whipped up the chocolate cake mix Marie remembered the silence when she woke up. The fever had gone. The sun sparkled through the window. The birds sang on the trees and the sweet smell of roses wafted from the garden into her room. But the silence came from no sound of a baby, no sweet voice of a husband.<\/p>\n She had dragged herself from her bed, pulled on a lace negligee and groped her way from one piece of furniture to the other. Then she had reached the door and pulled it open.<\/p>\n \u201cMadame?\u201d the voice of her maid came from the doorway, surprise, astonishment.<\/p>\n Marie remembered the face, the look, not of sympathy, anxiety, but one of horror, fear even. Why?<\/p>\n \u201cMadame?\u201d the word was spoken in admonition, and the eyes had hardened, and she had approached Marie and taken her arm,<\/p>\n \u201cPourriez-vois m\u2019aider?\u201d Marie whispered. (can you help me?)<\/p>\n \u201cHush, hush, vite\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n The hand was like a claw, that tightened around her arm and turned her round, back to the bedroom. She glanced down at the little crib as she passed, it was empty. Empty? She had given a cry,<\/p>\n \u201cMon bebe n\u2019est pas la?\u201d (My baby isn\u2019t here?)<\/p>\n \u201cHush hush, je suis desole, je ne peux rien faire\u201d (I\u2019m sorry, there is nothing I can do)<\/p>\n \u201cJean! Jean!\u201d<\/p>\n She heard her own voice screaming for her husband, it filled her head. Marie beat at the cake mix and the tears fell faster. Her baby had been beautiful, beautiful \u2026 and he had gone, just gone, just like that!<\/p>\n Later they had told her that there had been an illness in the town, she and the baby had been taken ill with it, and while she had survived, her little son, too small, too weak, had not. And she had grieved, grieved bitterly for all these years.<\/p>\n Marie poured the mix into the tins, and levelled them out before putting them into the oven. She remembered the love of another man, one she had resented, rejected at first but the only one who had had the strength and courage to battle on her behalf. He had married her, and brought her to a new territory. Here on this land Jean had been buried. Here on this land this wonderful man, Ben, had been buried also.<\/p>\n She closed the oven door and stepped back. The cakes would be ready in half an hour. She wiped her hands down her apron, and wiped her tears away. She remembered the day Joseph had been born. She had not wanted him out of her sight, this little defenceless vulnerable scrap of mortality. Oh her heart was bound up totally in this little life. Ben had understood and had loved them both.<\/p>\n And now she had been told the truth, that the first born son had not died. But it was really only half a truth. He had lived. Was he still alive and if so, where was he? From the window of his office David Carter watched the approach of the Sheriff. There was no doubt about the purposeful stride of the lawman. Something had happened to bring him back to the bank so soon but what? David licked his lips and glanced around the room. There was nothing here that could incriminate him in anything at all. Not the fraud, nor the embezzlement of vast sums of money. The thought of the money made his hair stand on end. Some Chambers had ridden away with, the rest was at David\u2019s home. He chewed on the inside of his cheek, and remembered just how much money had had given to Evie.<\/p>\n Roy paused to talk to one of the townspeople. He touched the brim of his hat politely and continued on. His purpose for the moment was not going to change for anyone. He reached the banks doors and pushed them open.<\/p>\n Jimmy Dunlop glanced up and smiled,<\/p>\n \u201cCan I help you, Sheriff Coffee?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d like to see Mr Carter.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCertainly, I\u2019ll just go and see if he\u2019s available.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo need.\u201d Roy said, \u201cI know the way.\u201d<\/p>\n He opened the door to the office without knocking. It would not have made much difference had he done so, for the room was empty. Everything was in its place. Everything except the Bank Manager.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n Evie was not worried when she found her front door open. She often forgot to lock it up and most people in Virginia City didn\u2019t lock up anyway. She closed it behind her and walked to the settee, pulling off her hat as she went through the room. As she sat down she flung the hat aside, as far from her as she could, and then she realised, as she looked around, that the room did not look quite as it had when she had left it that morning.<\/p>\n Some ornaments were broken upon the floor, books and papers were scattered about, pictures that had been hanging on the walls were either at odd angles with themselves or on the floor, the glass shattered about them. She sat there for a moment frozen with fear. What had happened in her home to cause all this? She could feel her heart beating rapidly beneath her hand. Someone had come into the house and ransacked it. But why? Then she remembered why.<\/p>\n She did not stop to think that perhaps someone would still be upstairs. She gathered up her skirts and ran to her bedroom as quickly as she could. All along the landing she found further evidence of devastation and ruin. The door to her mother\u2019s room was open, and that also had been ransacked methodically. She ran into her bedroom and stopped.<\/p>\n She looked around her wildly. Things were strewn everywhere. Clothes, bedding, even the curtains had been ripped from the poles. She swayed on her feet. The hat boxes \u2026 ! Don\u2019t panic, she told herself, be grateful that whoever did this had not thought of the hat boxes. But who would have done this? Who knew she had this money?<\/p>\n She hurried to her dressing table and pulled out her jewellery box, and opened it. It had been untouched. The diamond necklace and ear rings remained where she had left them. Who else knew she had this money? Mr Hinkley who had stared in amazement at the sight of the money she had counted out in his hand for Sophia\u2019s funeral? Surely not. That left one other person, which meant he would be looking for something else as well. Nothing moved. There was no shadow anywhere that she could not account for herself. She swallowed back the desire to scream with fear and panic. Before she did anything else she had to make sure the journal was safe. She rushed to its hiding place and with relief pulled it free. Holding it to herself she turned, and opened her mouth in a silent scream.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, my dear, I\u2019ll take that now,\u201d was all he said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s mine, and Momma\u2019s\u201d she whispered, her eyes fixed on the snub nosed derringer in his hand.<\/p>\n \u201cAs if you cared about Sophia,\u201d David growled, \u201cYou thought she was a joke, remember? Do you want me to remind you of some of the things you said about her? Now, give me the book.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, no, you can\u2019t make me. What do you think the Sheriff will make of this \u2026\u201d she swept her hand wide to encompass the room about them, \u201cDo you think you\u2019ll get away?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy not? What have I done wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat have you done wrong?\u201d her voice raised an octave, \u201cWhat do you call this? All this mess? What were you looking for, the money you gave me?\u201d<\/p>\n Her eyes stared into his, but she knew that no matter who she was, there would be no mercy from him. A rat, when cornered, bites and they don\u2019t care who it is \u2026 ever.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n \u201cMarie?\u201d Adam said quietly after some moments looking at her in silence, \u201cTalk to me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course, dear, what do you want me to say?\u201d she smiled, and looked at him with a thoughtful air, \u201cWhat shall we talk about?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI – I don\u2019t want to be the cause of making you unhappy. You know that, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, of course.\u201d her smile froze a little and her eyes became wary. She glanced away and looked at the door as though measuring the distance from the bedside to the door for an escape.<\/p>\n \u201cHoss loves chocolate cake, but more than one in a day could be even more than he could take on board.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d she looked at him, and gave a little laugh, almost a giggle, young and silly, and he smiled, remembering how often he would hear it when Ben was alive.<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t chase you down the stairs if you decide to run,\u201d Adam said quietly, and twisted the sheet between his fingers, \u201cSo please hear me out. I\u2019ve been thinking about things a lot while I\u2019ve been up here. I just want to talk, try and get some things clear in my head.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cVery well,\u201d Marie said quietly, \u201cSay what\u2019s on your mind.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam smiled slowly, it was a phrase his father would have used, \u201cWhat\u2019s on your mind?\u201d Ben would say, or \u201cSpeak plain.\u201d He shook the memory of his father away, and looked at the woman who was sitting within hands reach and watching him nervously.<\/p>\n \u201cDavid Carter told us about your child, a boy called Clay. Your first born son. Yours and Jeans.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I remember.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou never told us about him before, but David Carter knew. I wondered why, how could you have possibly told him something so private, something that you had never told us. Little Joe, for example, had a right to know he has another brother somewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n She sighed, and shook her head,<\/p>\n \u201cI explained that, Adam. Clay died when only a few days old. David knew because he was a friend of Jeans, I suppose, most of town knew.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSophia Templeton wanted to talk to you before she died. She recognised David Carter as Remy, the man with whom -,\u201d he paused and frowned, \u201cI\u2019d hazard a guess that he, this Remy, was Evie\u2019s father.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGuessing and knowing are not quite the same thing, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know, that\u2019s where I need your help, Ma. I need you to fill in the gaps.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know of any so called gaps.\u201d she frowned slightly and felt the colour rising in her cheeks. \u201cOh, Adam, go on, say what else is on your mind.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, if Remy and David Carter are the same person, it means there was a connection between him and Sophia. Obviously there was, because of Evie. Evie had been befriended by Carter, and told to get some papers from the Attorney, the day you went into town to check on papers there. She went with you, didn\u2019t she?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe was talking, mostly girlish nonsense, and we just drifted into the office together. She just sat there, looking bored, being polite. We parted as soon as we left the office.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course you did, she went to Carter, I daresay, with the papers she had taken from the Attorney. He was concerned about the papers missing, but when I saw David rummaging through the desk drawers I could understand then what was going on in his mind. He needed to see just how much he would gain by marrying you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t be so horrible,\u201d Marie snapped, \u201cYou make me sound like a piece of merchandise.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo far as Carter was concerned, you were, and worth a lot of money, and land. If I died, then you would be worth even more. If I died, Hoss and Joe would not put up much objection to your marrying him. If I died, Hoss and Joe would fall in line with whatever he wanted in the future. It would be the end of the Ponderosa as we know it. As Pa intended it to be for us all.\u201d<\/p>\n Marie stood up and walked over to the window. She pushed back one of the lace curtains and looked over at the mountains. How she wished for Ben to come up from behind her now, and to put one arm around her waist and hold her close to him. She would smell the warmth of his body and the tobacco smell that lingered upon his clothes. She would hear him whisper sweet silly things in her ear, and he would reassure her that she was loved and needed, not just a piece of merchandise.<\/p>\n \u201cDavid Carter loved me, Adam, and he didn\u2019t just say it to gain my confidence, or my acceptance of his proposal, he loved me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAs you loved him?\u201d Adam replied, looking over at her and wishing that he could give her what she most needed now, but he was the man known as her eldest son, and too young a man as well. He sighed, and bit into his bottom lip. It was obvious he had hurt her, no woman who had given of herself for love\u2019s sake wants to be told it was not love after all, but a far baser reason, a more selfish, greedy reason.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d she didn\u2019t look back at him, but continued to stare out of the window, at the mountains.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, a few days ago you would have fought to defend him, protest that you loved him. But suddenly that\u2019s all gone, vanished. You can fall out of love for him that quickly? Why be surprised to know that he didn\u2019t love you, but only the thought of loving you and possessing what you owned.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I don\u2019t agree, Adam. I know \u2026I\u2019m a woman and I know when a man is sincere when he says he loves me.\u201d<\/p>\n He frowned and shook his head, although she did not see him do that, he sighed,<\/p>\n \u201cAlright, so he loves you. Where is he now? At your side? Comforting you? Reassuring you?\u201d he noted the rigidity of her body, and wondered whether to stop but he pressed onwards, \u201cMarie, what did Sophia tell you about Remy? Did she tell you something about him that had to do with your son?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat makes you say that?\u201d she turned to him, her eyes wide, and her face pale, \u201cWhat brought you to that conclusion?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDavid Carter mentioned your son, he\u2019s Remy, Sophia recognised him before she died and wanted to talk to you. What better lever to arouse love in you than to remind you of the love you had and lost all those years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n She opened her mouth in protest, silent words rose to her lips but she could not utter them, instead tears rushed to the surface and she buried her face in her hands and began to sob, bitter, heart breaking sobs.<\/p>\n Weak as he was Adam pushed back the covers and groped his way towards her, he touched her arm and she turned, and fell into his arms.<\/p>\n \u201cOh what can I do? What can I do? I don\u2019t even know if he\u2019s alive, Adam.\u201d she sobbed, her voice smothered in the curve of collar bone, \u201cShe saw Clay alive, just after Remy had taken him from me. I don\u2019t know why, and I don\u2019t know where he took him, she didn\u2019t know and couldn\u2019t tell me. I wish, I wish Ben were here.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam held her close to him, and stroked her hair gently, and wondered if he could continue standing up much longer before he fell down, with, embarrassingly, his step mother landing on top of him. Perhaps she sensed the tension in his body and remembered that he was far from well because she pushed herself away from him, and stepped back.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you think that Remy, I mean, David Carter, shot you?\u201d she asked him.<\/p>\n \u201cIf he didn\u2019t, then he arranged for it to be done by someone else.\u201d Adam replied, \u201cYes, I do believe that to be the only possibility.\u201d<\/p>\n He knew he wouldn\u2019t manage to get back to the bed, so sunk gratefully down into the nearby chair. He could feel weakness trickling all over him, and nausea swept up to his throat. He felt wretchedly weak and his head was spinning.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s the only logical conclusion,\u201d he whispered and closed his eyes, \u201cNow, could I have some water?\u201d<\/p>\n Chapter 37 He wandered through each room. Everything in perfect order. Pictures were aligned on the walls, curtains draped just so, nothing out of line to spoil the symmetry. He went up the stairs and looked around the bedrooms. Not even a bed had been rumpled on. It was as though no one had ever lived in the place. Then he noticed the paper crumpled up and left on the floor. He stooped and picked it up. Smoothing it out he saw it to be a Banker\u2019s Draft, but with nothing written on it. He frowned and shook his head. This was not quite turning out how he had expected.<\/p>\n Back on the sidewalk he stood for some moments in contemplation. Now and again he looked down at the crumpled paper in his hands. Somewhere in the recesses of his memory he recalled mentioning that Harry Chambers would have acquired the money from the bank only upon receipt of a Bankers Draft. Was this blank form linked to that statement, and thereby connect the two men? If so, for what purpose?<\/p>\n \u201cSheriff?\u201d<\/p>\n His reverie was broken by Mr Hinkley who stood by his side. He had approached so silently that Roy was taken by surprise and wondered from what direction the man had actually approached him. He nodded, trying not to look startled, even though he had been,<\/p>\n \u201cSheriff, do you have a spare moment?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot exactly. Talk as I walk back to the office,\u201d Roy suggested, tucking the slip of paper into his pocket.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is just that I was – I am – rather concerned about Evie Templeton. She came to see her mother today, and changed the arrangements for the funeral.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNothing out of the ordinary in that, is there?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhen Sophia died, Miss Templeton requested a modest funeral, saying it was all she could afford. Well, I quite appreciated that fact, I\u2019ve known the family for a long time and they have not been exactly well off. Far from it.\u201d Hinkley frowned, \u201cThen this morning she changed everything. She wants the very best, the most expensive funeral we provide. Glass fronted carriage, black horses with plumes, everything.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo?\u201d Roy frowned and looked at the man who was bobbing up and down nervously as they walked along,<\/p>\n \u201cShe paid for it there and then. I tell you, Sheriff, her purse was stuffed full of notes. Not just plain one dollar notes either. She was carrying a fortune in that purse.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe she discovered that her mother had a secret horde somewhere. They had to live on something all these years after all?\u201d Roy frowned more deeply and his moustache bristled, these busy bodying folk should mind their own business and let the law get on with carrying out the law. \u201cHave you seen the Bank Manager anywhere about today?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, sir.\u201d Hinkley said, too quickly. His Adam\u2019s apple bobbed up and down convulsively, \u201cWell, he came and paid his respects to Sophia Templeton really early.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDid they know one another then?\u201d Roy looked at Hinkley thoughtfully and received a shake of the head in reply, \u201cRather strange, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI thought so.\u201d Hinkley replied, almost falling off the sidewalk into the main street as Roy prepared to cross the road.<\/p>\n Roy said nothing, and it was not until he reached the door of his building that he realised Mr Hinkley was still there, looking nervously up at him. He nodded,<\/p>\n \u201cThanks for your help, Mr Hinkley.\u201d he muttered, and pushed open the door. He looked around the office, nodded over to his deputy who promptly got to his feet to put the coffee pot on the stove. Roy stood there for a while, his initial relief at not seeing any Cartwright in sight ebbing as something came into his mind.<\/p>\n \u201cDoggone, now I\u2019m getting these confounded itches.\u201d he muttered and turned around, left the building and strode over to Evie Templeton\u2019s home.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n As soon as he pushed open the door it was obvious that there was something very wrong there. The chaos he saw around him was in stark contrast to the sterile conditions of the house he had previously visited. He stood in the centre of the room and looked about him and then slowly drew his gun from its holster.<\/p>\n He took the stairs slowly , listening for any sound as he went along. He peered into Sophia\u2019s room, and then reached Evie\u2019s pink fluffy sanctum. Only it was no longer a sanctuary.<\/p>\n She had obviously put up a fight to live. What disorder there had been when Evie had walked into the room was doubly so now. But it had ended with the ultimate outcome. Roy felt a sadness tug at his heart as he knelt on one knee by the side of the young girl\u2019s body. Her face epitomised the terror in which she had lived during her last brief seconds. Her open eyes stared up at him in unseeing appeal. Blood from the bullet wound covered her pretty new dress, and had soaked into the threadbare carpet upon which she had fallen.<\/p>\n Roy remembered Hinkley\u2019s comment about Evie having so little and then, suddenly, having so much. The contrast was right there in front of him with the cheap carpet and the expensive new dress. Poor Evie, he sighed. Then, noting something of further interest, he moved her body, very slightly, to pluck from beneath it a ten dollar note. The corner of it had been just noticeable. He wondered how many, if any, others would be beneath her body when they finally removed it.<\/p>\n So, someone had been here and not only relieved the girl of her newly found wealth, but had also stolen her life. Roy bowed his head, looked at the waxen face of the girl who should have had all her life ahead of her, and nodded slowly. It was not fair. It was not right. He swore, there and then, to find her killer, and he had a pretty good idea of who that person was, but the task now was to locate him.<\/p>\n Leaving his deputy on guard outside Evie\u2019s house, awaiting the doctor, and the undertaker, Roy returned to Carter\u2019s house. He went immediately to the stable, and found it empty. He had seen Carter\u2019s horse often in town, a big powerful beast, as black as night with a fiery temper. Somehow it had suited the Bank Manager, being so cold and aloof. He obviously liked the challenge of this hot tempered beast, and keeping it in control.<\/p>\n Roy rubbed his chin thoughtfully. The man had gone, lost control no doubt, had a moment of panic and after shooting Evie had realised there was no turning back. He would go – where?<\/p>\n Chapter 38<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The wagon bearing the weeks washing in big wicker baskets trundled along the road towards town. It passed the spot where a deep pool of blood had dried black into the sand, covered over by the cautious Mr Chambers after he had shot Adam. It went its way with Hop Sing singing under his breath in a most unmelodious tone of voice some popular Cantonese ditty.<\/p>\n Adam had slipped easily back into sleep once he had been helped into his bed. His sleep was touched by fever, and Marie watched him anxiously for some time as he turned his head this way and that as though to shake away the pain and heat by doing so. She bathed his face gently with cool water and slaked his thirst by offering water to drink.<\/p>\n Slowly he seemed to settled into a more restful sleep and she left the bedside to return to the window. She looked across once again to the mountains, and thought over all he had said. She knew, without a doubt, that he had been right. There was no point in pretending, even to herself, that David had really loved her. She felt that she had made herself look silly, a little immature, like a giddy schoolgirl, but what did that matter in the long run, so long as she made no further mistakes. She had been spared the worse error of all, that of marrying him.<\/p>\n She glanced over at Adam again. He had whispered her name, and she smiled. What a dear handsome young man he had become, and how much she loved him. She returned to his bedside and stroked back the dark curl of hair that had fallen across his brow. Who would have thought such a sullen little boy would have grown into such a mature, caring man. She sighed, and allowed her hand to caress his face, how like Ben he had become as he had grown older. It were as though everything Ben had taught him, shown him, Adam had stored away to be used at a more significant time, a more pertinent place.<\/p>\n He stirred, and his lips mouthed something but there was no sound. She rinsed out the cloth again and wiped around his face and brow.<\/p>\n \u201cBen would be so proud of you, Adam. You\u2019ve borne your responsibilities wonderfully.\u201d and she whispered some words of endearment in French Creole, before smiling down at him.<\/p>\n The sound of a horse coming into the yard caused her to leave his room. She knew Hop Sing was not home, and she was anticipating Joe to return at any time. She sighed, and felt free at last. She even began to hum a little tune from her younger days as she made her way down the stairs, across the main room and opened the door.<\/p>\n Chpater 39<\/p>\n She welcome him with a wide smile on her face and her eyes gleaming. She had expected to be saying \u201cDarling, Adam\u2019s so much better.\u201d instead the smile disappeared, her eyes widened in dismay and her throat became paralysed with fear. She actually raised a hand to her mouth to stifle whatever sound she thought would succeed in coming out.<\/p>\n \u201cI wasn\u2019t expecting such a warm welcome,\u201d David said sarcastically, and he looked at her briefly, before walking past her and into the house.<\/p>\n He looked around him, glanced almost nervously at the portrait of Ben that seemed to glower down at him, and threw his hat onto the bureau behind the door. He could see that Hoss and Joe\u2019s hats were absent, only Adams remained on a peg. His lips twisted into an ironic smile,<\/p>\n \u201cSo, dear Marie, how is our invalid? Is he well on the road to recovery? I would have thought from the way you threw open that door with such a smile on your face that you were going to tell me some good news.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s recovering.\u201d Marie said quietly, and took a deep breath. This was the time to summon her strength. She was alone in the house apart from Adam. She was not a silly weak minded woman. Life, time, experience had forged a lot of steel in Marie, and she was not going to bend to the will of this arrogant man.<\/p>\n David nodded and walked towards the side table where the decanter of port stood, with its glasses, and he filled both and handed her one of them, the smile still on his face.<\/p>\n \u201cMarie. Dear, sweet, beautiful Marie.\u201d he took a gulp, savoured the taste and nodded , as though his approval was, at that moment, the only thing she wanted to hear from him. He drew in his breath, \u201cI\u2019ve decided to leave Virginia City, Marie.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou have?\u201d she was surprised, ignorant of the events in town, such an event caught her unsure of how to proceed next. She took a sip at the port, and then looked at him, \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cVarious reasons. One of course, my dear, is due to you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMe?\u201d she felt the colour rush to her cheeks, and she shook her head, \u201cI\u2019m sorry, David. These things happen, you know. When we reach our age, we should be mature enough to realise that just sometimes we -.\u201d \u201cNo, it was not pretence. I thought I loved you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou either love, or you don\u2019t. It isn\u2019t something that stops at the mere whisper of disapproval. Was that it? Did you beloved sons disapprove of me for some reason?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDavid, it had nothing to do with my sons. Had they disapproved , and I loved you, sincerely, deeply loved you, it would never have made any difference. I am a woman who will not give way to others on a mere whim. When I love someone I do so, with my whole heart.\u201d she put down the glass and moved towards another part of the room.<\/p>\n \u201cStand still,\u201d he cried, \u201cStand still. I don\u2019t like it when a person keeps walking away from me. When I\u2019m speaking to them, they should have the courtesy to remain still.\u201d<\/p>\n Marie instantly froze. It had been her intention, her hope, to reach the desk where a pistol could be located in the top drawer. She glanced about her, feeling defenceless and alone. She looked up towards the stairs where there was no sound at all.<\/p>\n \u201cSo? You just decided that you didn\u2019t love me, is that right?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou said you didn\u2019t want to talk about it?\u201d she said very quietly, and lowered her eyes, hoping that she looked docile and submissive.<\/p>\n \u201cFor goodness\u2019 sake, Marie, a man can change his mind just as much as a woman. So you stopped loving me, and I, remain as much in love with you as ever. Is there nothing, nothing at all, that I can say or do that will change your mind, Marie? I would do anything for you, anything at all, you must know that by now?\u201d<\/p>\n She looked at him with candid eyes. He was a handsome man, with a fine physique, attractive hands, and a reasonably deep (in comparison to Bens) voice. Looking at him now, as though he were a stranger, she knew she would be attracted to him, and flattered by the attentions from him. But, she was no stranger to him, and she did not love him.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you love me then, David? Really?\u201d she asked, and stepped closer towards him.<\/p>\n \u201cWith all my heart.\u201d he replied with such fervour that she was surprised, and wondered whether or not she had misjudged him after all.<\/p>\n \u201cThen, tell me who is Remy? And where is my son?\u201d<\/p>\n She had not meant to say that, not so soon, not so quickly. She could see from the rush of colour to his face that it had been the last thing in the world that he had expected to hear from her. He stared at her, his eyes wide and startled and his mouth open. Then he shook his head and took a deep breath, gulped down some more port and put down the glass. Then with a cry of dismay he sunk down onto the settee and buried his face into his hands,<\/p>\n \u201cMarie, may God forgive me, I did you such a wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy? Tell me what happened?\u201d Marie said very softly, and sat down beside him, and gently placed a hand upon his arm. She felt it tremble, and wondered what strong emotions were being contained within him.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a long time ago. Well, you know yourself how long ago it was, for it was when you had just married Jean. I – my name – my name was Remy David Cartier. My family were wealthy, well known \u2026\u201d he glanced at her quickly, as though needing to see for himself what she looked like before he proceeded with the story.<\/p>\n \u201cI knew the Cartiers. I did not know you were connected to them.\u201d she replied, nodding her head, and a ringlet of golden hair loosened from its coils and fell across her shoulder.<\/p>\n \u201cI was married, and I had a mistress. It was not uncommon for a man of my status to have such an arrangement, as you must know. But my child died, my wife \u2026\u201d he sighed deeply and bowed his head lower, and reached out for her hand, which she allowed him to hold within his own. \u201cI was crazy for a while. I spent money wildly. I got into debt. I got into a dishonourable situation. Then your mother in law asked me, via a proxy of course, to \u2019rescue\u2019 her grandchild from you. She was frightened for his safety, because she had heard that you had the pox.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFor heavens sake, the stupid woman.\u201d Marie muttered, and shook her head in disbelief. \u201cSo it was she who has my child?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI arranged for your maid to take the child and bring him to me. Sophia saw him for a few moments, while I waited for the carriage to come from your mother in law. I took him to her.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd – and -?\u201d Marie asked, her voice hoarse, a whisper only.<\/p>\n \u201cMarie, don\u2019t you know what it is like being here, with you? Oh, Marie, you are so beautiful, and I love you so much. Could you not come with me now?\u201d<\/p>\n He looked at her with such appeal in his eyes, and such sadness, that Marie could only feel the utmost sympathy for him, but she shook her head,<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I can\u2019t come with you, David. I don\u2019t love you. I want to stay here with my family.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI always wondered what had happened to you,\u201d David whispered, bringing his face closer to hers, \u201cAfter I took the child, Sophia told me she was expecting a child of ours. I couldn\u2019t bear that, not after having lost my wife and son. I couldn\u2019t, didn\u2019t, want to stay there, after what had happened to your son. Jean left. You were distraught. I was penniless apart from the money your mother in law gave me. So I left. Travelled. You know, my sweet, travel does not broaden the mind, it coarsens it . What a travesty! Oh, what a waste.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t understand, David. Explain to me what you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNothing. I don\u2019t mean anything. It\u2019s all meaningless anyway, without you. I couldn\u2019t believe it when I saw you here. Then, what madness, within days of seeing you, hoping that perhaps I could get to know you, Sophia walks into the bank. The stupidity of it all. Stupid, stupid.\u201d his voice was rising, becoming shrill. Marie tried to free her hand from his grasp, but his fingers were like a vice tightening around hers despite her efforts.<\/p>\n \u201cLet me go, David.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, no, not again. Never.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI insist.\u201d she cried, her eyes flashing.<\/p>\n \u201cInsist? YOU insist?\u201d he cried, and his voice was a shout, a growl of anger. He stood up, dragging her up alongside of him, and then his other hand seized her shoulder, and gripped it hard, \u201cHow dare you. How dare you tell me what to do. You insist, do you?\u201d he released her wrist only to seize her by the back of the head, his fingers twisting into the abundance of her hair.<\/p>\n \u201cLeave me, let me go. Haven\u2019t you harmed me enough, Remy?\u201d she screamed.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t you ever call me that again!\u201d he yelled and shook her, and then he took her into his arms and held her close to his body, and kissed her lips and all the time she struggled, and pushed, and tried to resist him.<\/p>\n The force of his attempts upon her were so strong that she could hardly breathe and in desperation she freed one hand and brought it down across his face, raking her fingers down his cheek with the result that he let out a bellow of pain and surprise. For just enough time his grip upon her slackened and she broke free from him, managed a few steps away, and then was brought crashing down against the side table as he grabbed hold of her once again.<\/p>\n The smashing glass as it hit the floor sent out an explosion of sound, followed instantly by her scream.<\/p>\n In his room, the sounds penetrated Adam\u2019s fever ridden brain, and for a second he lay there, his heart pounding so hard that it was the only sound he could hear. Instantly, another scream rang through the house, and he recognised it as Marie\u2019s voice. Marie. He knew he could not waste another second, not another second.<\/p>\n Chapter 40<\/p>\n Joseph gave a low chuckle, and pulled his hat lower to shield his eyes from the sun. It had been an odd mixture of a day, what with their attempts at playing detective going rather awry. But it had certainly had it\u2019s good points. For a start, he felt he had got to know Evie Templeton a little better, although it was worrying the amount of money she was carrying around with her. Still, once she had paid off the funeral expenses and other debts her mother had incurred she would probably be reduced to her usual penury. Then, he had met up with Eddy Tavener who owed him $50 from a gambling session they had been involved in several weeks earlier, and had been paid the full amount. The good thing about it was that Hoss had not noticed, so when Hoss offered to buy a round of drinks, he had been able to slip the money in his pocket. Then, just before they left town he had met up with Mark Ford who had introduced him to his sister, Maria. Maria had just left the Finishing School in Philadelphia, and was totally new to Virginia City. So Joe had arranged to escort her around the \u2019very best spots\u2019 . He sighed contentedly and began to whistle under his breath.<\/p>\n Hoss was thoughtful. He was very concerned about this business with Chambers. How could a man just turn up in a town and take a pot shot at his, Hoss\u2019, brother, and then catch a coach and disappear? Roy had not been exactly helpful either. In fact, Roy had slipped rather in Hoss\u2019 estimation. A lawman should know how to get round these factors. Not sit there twirling his spectacles around or pulling hairs out of his moustache. Hoss had felt a bit ashamed at thumping the desk like he had, but thankfully, Joe had not been around to reprimand him. Hoss thought of Adam, and felt a shiver go down his back. What if Adam had died? What if he had ridden down that track and found his body, sprawled out in the highway like that? He glanced over at Joe who seemed as merry as a cricket, whistling away, while for all he knew Adam could have died in his sleep or something equally horrible. Hoss wasn\u2019t quite sure just what could be as horrible, but the thought of losing Adam was heart stopping for him.<\/p>\n Hoss Cartwright could remember times before Marie had arrived at the Ponderosa and Joe had arrived in all his squally glory. They had worked along with Pa to build that place up. He could, at times, recall quite vividly working the clay between his fingers to stuff between the logs of the house, and as the walls grew up higher and higher wondering if it would all stay upright and not fall down like a pack of cards. He could remember how Pa made up the clay by throwing buckets of water over the earth and getting the horses to walk around and around to churn it up. Then he would roll up his pants and tramp it down with his bare feet, the wet moist stuff squidging through his toes. No child could forget memories like that, nor could they forget the older brother who would come and jump in the clay with him, and together they would laugh and flick mud pellets at one another.<\/p>\n Then they would fill the pails up with the wet clay and pack it into the gaps between the logs. That was the boring bits, but Adam would tell him stories. Hoss could remember some of them even now, mostly about sailors and the sea, but sometimes about robbers like Robin Hood in a land called England. Oh it had been a great fun time.<\/p>\n It had seemed to Hoss that most of his infancy had been spent in the great outdoors, with nights sleeping under the stars, or the worse, under the tarpaulin of the wagon that had been their home for years. He had slept with Adam by his side. In the morning Adam had been there, often awake with his arms folded behind his head, with his black curls messed up, and freckles over his nose. He would be there staring up at the stars and when he knew Hoss was awake he would tell his brother the star\u2019s names, until Hoss was able to tell him them himself. After that he would teach Hoss the alphabet, or the times tables. Joe missed out on all that fun because he had a Ma to teach him.<\/p>\n They had passed Hop Sing along the road and given him a wave of the hand. Hop Sing had yelled out something about chocolate cake and nodded at them. They had nodded back at him and then winked at each other. But niether of them seemed in too much of a rush to get home. It had been too odd a day. And yet, Hoss thought, they should be getting home faster, they should, because Marie was alone, and Adam was ill, really ill.<\/p>\n \u201cJoe, we should be gitting a move on here,\u201d he said anxiously.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy? You worried about Adam wolfing down that chocolate cake Ma has made?\u201d Joe chuckled.<\/p>\n \u201cNo. Fact is, Adam ain\u2019t gonna be fit to eat chocolate cake for sometime yet and well you know it. I\u2019m jest worried about them being on their own, that\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou worry too much, Hoss. Now you should stop before it gets into a habit, worrying could seriously stunt your growth.\u201d Joe laughed at his own joke and shook his head as though he just couldn\u2019t believe how funny he could be.<\/p>\n \u201cChambers could be there, or sniffing around.\u201d Hoss replied, scowling at Joe, \u201cAnyhow, you take all the time you like, little brother, I\u2019m going to go on ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe shrugged, and then turned Cochise\u2019s head in line with Chubb, kicked with his heels and sent the obedient creature leaping forward. It was too good a day to argue. He had $50, unexpected, dollars in his pocket, and had met a really gorgeous new girl in town.<\/p>\n They galloped at a fast pace towards the Ponderosa. While some distance away they heard the sound of a gun, and then almost instantly, another. There was no need to say a word, both brothers dug their heels into their horses and urged them to gain faster speeds while at the same time their hearts pounded with fear. Adam\u2019s fingers curled around the handle of his gun. He took a sharp intake of breath as pain burned down his left side, and he rocked for an instant on his heels, as weakness threatened to engulf him. A crash from downstairs focussed him on what he had to do, and with his heart pounding from the adrenalin rush through his veins, he managed to reach the door of his room.<\/p>\n \u201cMarie!\u201d<\/p>\n His voice was just loud enough to be heard above the noise from the room below. Carter paused, turned and looked up at the stairs. His face contorted with rage, his nostrils flared and his lips curled back in a snarl.<\/p>\n Dischevelled, disarrayed and with blood seeping from the scratches on his face, David pulled out a pistol, and holding it at Marie began to make his way to the stairs. He was breathing heavily, and felt a pain across his cheekbones. Touching his nose he realised that one of the blows that Marie had struck at him had obviously landed, and if it had not broken his nose, it had certainly done some damage. He wiped blood away with the back of his hand.<\/p>\n Marie had fallen heavily on the floor, and was fighting to stay conscious. Black waves came sweeping up and over her, threatening to engulf her should she make the wrong move. She longed to just rest her head, close her eyes and surrender to the dark.<\/p>\n \u201cMarie!\u201d<\/p>\n She had to stay awake, she had to stay alert. God grant her strength. What if Carter were to kill Adam? She struggled to get back to her feet and then looked up and saw David\u2019s face.<\/p>\n The gun was levelled at her even as he inched closer to the foot of the stairs. She turned her head beseechingly towards the door, praying for Joe or Hoss to come. But then, what if they did? If they were to come through that door now what would David do? Who would he shoot first? She gave a moan, a cry like that of a wounded animal, like that of any mother who saw her young threatened and felt defenceless to save them.<\/p>\n \u201cMarie, you look lovlier than ever,\u201d David said softly, \u201cAll I wanted to do now was sweep you away from all this and take you where you belonged, where you could take your proper dignified place in society. There was, there is, no need for you to stay here, in this wild, primitive wilderness. There\u2019s a world out there ready for you to grace it, to dignify it. Why not just let me take you with me?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSaid with a gun at my head, David.\u201d she replied.<\/p>\n He wavered. The gun moved from her towards the stairs where there came the sounds of someone approaching.<\/p>\n \u201cADAM -\u201d she shrieked \u201cStay there, stay there. For pities sake don\u2019t come down, no matter what you hear, don\u2019t come down.\u201d<\/p>\n David frowned and the gun swung back towards her, he shook his head as though he couldn\u2019t believe what he had just heard.<\/p>\n \u201cMarie, ma cherie, what are you thinking? Are you putting that ragamuffin before me? Are you really seriously implying that you care more about the welfare of that Cartwright\u2019s son, than of me?\u201d he stepped closer towards her, and involuntarily she tried to scramble back, pushing herself along the floor, away from him. He smiled as though seeking to placate a child, and put out his other hand, \u201cDear girl, don\u2019t you realise that if you ever want to see YOUR son again, you have to forget about Ben Cartwright\u2019s son? If you ever want to know what happened to Clay -.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cClay?\u201d the name slipped past her lips in a gasp. Clay, her son, her first born son.<\/p>\n \u201cYou see how much I have to offer you, Marie? The world at your feet, high society, and Clay Stafford.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cClay Stafford,\u201d she whispered as though there was a spell upon the name and it had caught her up in its mystique.<\/p>\n \u201cJust say the word, Marie. Just say that you\u2019ll come with me.\u201d He heard her call out to him, warning him to stay where he was now, but how could he? This was a journey that had to have an ending. A story that had to have its finale.<\/p>\n Perspiration stung his eyes, and the pain gnawed at his nerves. Holding the gun in both hands Adam inched along the landing and finally reached the top of the stairs. Looking down upon a hazy scene, obscured by his failing eye-sight, Adam saw David standing close to the bottom stair, near to the gun rack. He blinked several times to clear his vision.<\/p>\n David was standing with his arm stretched out and the gun in his hand pointing to wards the stairs, waiting, Adam correctly surmised, for its target. Adam could see that the man had suffered as a result of the fight put up by Marie as there was blood not only on his face but dripping onto his shirt, which was torn. In an agony of suspense, Adam looked around the room, at the broken ornaments, the toppled over chair, the smashed glass from the turned over table. Then he saw Marie, struggling to reach the arm of the settee to get to her feet. Marie, with a white face, wild eyes, and her hair is total disarray. Blood stained her brow, and her clothing was torn, ripped at the shoulder, and skirt. One shoe had fallen under the table near the hearth. Adam shook his head, but the pain that caused made him groan. Sweat dripped once more into his eyes, and once again he had to wipe it away with the back of his arm.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, Marie, tell me? What\u2019s it to be?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam inched along, he was on both knees now, and the effort to move was making him feel faint. His hands were shaking, the gun was too heavy to hold.<\/p>\n \u201cStand back, David, stand back and put down the gun or I shoot.\u201d<\/p>\n He could barely believe that he had actually managed to get the words pass his lips. But David looked up, shocked. His eyes registered their surprise, and then the man smiled and shook his head,<\/p>\n \u201cOh dear oh dear, is this your champion then, Marie? What a wretched picture of a man he is too.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI said, put down the gun or I shoot.\u201d Adam repeated, leaning against the banisters he managed to get down two of the stairs towards the half landing. \u201cMa, move, get out of the way.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cStay there,\u201d David growled and the gun swung back to Marie, \u201cAdam, put the gun down or I\u2019ll shoot her. I swear it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t be so stupid, man, you know you love her. You wouldn\u2019t risk losing her now, would you?\u201d Adam had reached the half landing, and paused. He was beginning to feel the need to pant, to just get air into his lungs. His vision was blurring again, and his aim at David was wavering. \u201cPut the gun down, David, I don\u2019t want to shoot you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMarie,\u201d David said quietly, more calmly than he had spoken most of the time he had been there, \u201cYou have the chance to come with me now, and to find Clay. Don\u2019t miss out on that,\u201d he pointed the gun at Adam \u201cfor this wretch.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2018I\u2019m going to have to shoot him,\u201d Adam thought, \u2018before I pass out, or he\u2019ll kill her\u2019, and he steadied his aim, concentrated and pulled the trigger. The gun exploded -as guns do – but before the sound had rolled into silence Adam had fallen, and crashed down the remaining stairs to land, face down, across the bottom step<\/p>\n \u201cAdam!\u201d Marie cried, and rushed towards him.<\/p>\n David turned to her, and smiled. The smile was so cold, so evil, that she felt her blood freeze within her veins. Her feet could no longer propel her forwards. She looked down at Adam and then at David,<\/p>\n \u201cDavid, please?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCome with me then, Marie, now. I know where Clay is, come with me for his sake, if not for mine. I\u2019ll be magnanimous and permit you that, should you wish it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know Clay, he doesn\u2019t know me.\u201d she whispered, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me. He\u2019s a man and he doesn\u2019t know me. But I know this man, I know Adam, and I love him. Please, David, please, just leave us and go.\u201d<\/p>\n David Carter shook his head, stared at her briefly and turned back to look down at Adam, he raised his arm and fired. Adam\u2019s body jerked, once. Then he was still, his eyes closed with the lashes a dark smoky crescent upon his cheeks.<\/p>\n David laughed, actually laughed and turned to look triumphantly at her.<\/p>\n He had forgotten how skilled she had been as a fencer. While he had turned to glory in his triumph, she had pulled free from the wall one of the epee\u2019s that she had brought with her to the Ponderosa. Now she stood opposite him, and the tip of the foil was cold steel upon his throat.<\/p>\n \u201cI hate you, David.\u201d she whispered and drew back her hand.<\/p>\n \u201cFor pities sake, Marie, don\u2019t -\u201d he put out a hand to grasp the weapon but she swiftly withdrew it and then lunged back, the cold metal now kissed his temple.<\/p>\n \u201cYou showed Adam no pity, no mercy. Why should I spare you now?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause I know where Clay is, I know\u2026\u201d he stammered.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy should I believe you? You\u2019ve done nothing but lie and cheat all your life, and I hate you for it. I hate you for what you\u2019ve done to my family, to Adam, to me. God forgive me, I loathe the sight of you.\u201d and she drew back her hand.<\/p>\n \u201cMa, don\u2019t, don\u2019t do it.\u201d<\/p>\n The door had swung open and Joe stood upon the threshold his gun in his hand and a terrified look on his young face. Behind him stood Hoss, his blue eyes like cold blue ice as he stared at David, looked at his brother fallen upon the floor, and at his mother with the epee in her hand. \u201cI\u2019ll kill you, Marie.\u201d he whispered.<\/p>\n \u201cTry it,\u201d she hissed between clenched teeth, \u201cAnd the last thing you\u2019ll taste is steel.\u201d<\/p>\n He smiled, a wide knowing smile and in a swift move raised the gun and fired.<\/p>\n His blood splattered the walls, and when he fell upon the ground his hand clutched at her skirts, his fingers tightened around them, as though they were the only life line left to him.<\/p>\n Chapter 43 She leaned forward, and touched his face with her fingers, before remembering what had happened. Involuntarily her fingers released the epee, which clattered upon the floor at their feet.<\/p>\n \u201cDid I kill him?\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, Momma, no, you didn\u2019t kill him. Don\u2019t worry. There\u2019s nothing to be afraid of now. Nothing at all.\u201d he said soothingly, putting a hand on her shoulder in reassurance.<\/p>\n \u201cAdam? Where\u2019s Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHoss has taken him upstairs to his room. He\u2019s safe now, Ma, he\u2019s alright.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAlright? Are you sure? I saw Carter shoot him, are you sure, Joe, you\u2019re not lying to me, just to make it easier, are you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, Ma. You know I wouldn\u2019t lie to you about anything like this. You\u2019ve always taught us to square up to the truth, haven\u2019t you?\u201d Joe\u2019s eyes widened in appeal to her and he stroked her face gently.<\/p>\n \u201cThen why are you looking so upset?\u201d she said softly, leaning towards him and wanting to hug him so much. He would never understand just how precious he was to her right then and there. No words could explain it but her heart felt full of the love she had for him, her very own child, her very own – and perhaps – only child.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause I was scared. Ma, I\u2019ve never seen you like that before, you \u2026 you were pretty frightening you know?\u201d he gave a laugh, a boyish shout of laughter, and wrapped his arms about him.<\/p>\n \u201cHere, Marie, have this to steady yourself down now.\u201d a kindly voice said closeby, and she looked up as Roy came to here with a cup of coffee with a dash of something extra in it. She could smell the alcohol from where she sat. \u201cAnd don\u2019t worry about the mess, it\u2019ll get cleared up.\u201d<\/p>\n She shivered. She didn\u2019t really want to know what mess he was referring to exactly. Her hands were shaking so much when she took the cup and saucer that Joe had to hold them for her.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd, it\u2019s true, Adam is safe?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPaul\u2019s with him now.\u201d Roy assured her, \u201cAnd he\u2019s alive, believe me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut, Roy, what are you doing here? Have I the whole of Virginia City outside in the yard somehow?\u201d<\/p>\n They smiled at her attempt in humour, and Roy sat down opposite her and shook his head,<\/p>\n \u201cDavid Carter murdered Evie Templeton earlier on. Soon as I realised what was happening I knew he would make for the Ponderosa. The only person he seemed to care about was you, and I knew you would be in danger. I got Paul to come along with me just in case we were \u2026 well, a bit too late.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI thought I\u2019d killed him.\u201d she whispered, \u201cI wanted to, but, it was already too late. I couldn\u2019t reach the foils soon enough, before he shot Adam.\u201d her teeth began to chatter and tears sprung to her eyes. The cup and saucer were dropped onto the floor as she buried her face in her hands, \u201cOh, I should have got hold of it sooner and killed him before he shot Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMa, Ma, I\u2019ve already told you, he\u2019s alright, Adam\u2019s alright. David Carter didn\u2019t shoot him, the bullet made a hole in the stairs, missed Adam by an inch I\u2019d reckon.\u201d<\/p>\n She allowed her son to put his arms around her, to hold her close and safe. Over his shoulder she could see the blood splattered walls, and the body covered by a blanket. The thought went through her mind that there was a lot of cleaning up to do. Then she thanked God that none of it was Adams, and that he was, indeed, safe.<\/p>\n That Carter had chosen to kill himself rather than surrender and face justice made Hoss shudder. He didn\u2019t stop to look at the neat hole in the stairs barely an inch from where Adam\u2019s head had been , he didn\u2019t want to be reminded of that, because he knew there was still a long way to go before this particular round of the fight had been fought \u2026 and won. \u201cPaul? How is he?\u201d Marie asked, hurrying towards the bedside and pausing by the side of the doctor.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I couldn\u2019t promise he would pull through, Marie, when I last saw him. But this latest episode has put a lot of strain on his nervous system, and on the injuries he had sustained. I can\u2019t promise you anything, you have to realise that.\u201d he still stared down at Adam, refusing to meet her eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cYou mean that he could still die?\u201d Joe whispered, as his mother approached the bed and knelt down beside the sick man.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve known men survive injuries like this before now, and I\u2019ve known men die of lesser ones. I can\u2019t give you a promise, I can\u2019t guarantee some miraculous instant cure, I just don\u2019t know. I\u2019ve done everything I can in my limited power, it is really up to him, what reserves he may have, and how he responds to the medication which I\u2019ve left here for him. Marie, I know he\u2019s in good hands but I must advise you and the boys not to rely on your own reserves here, because you\u2019re going to need to fall back on them over the next few days. Rest as much as you can. Hop Sing will help you all, he\u2019ll be a great help to you.\u201d<\/p>\n He sighed and picked up his medical bag, then cast another look Adam. Joe turned his head away, the look on Paul\u2019s face did not inspire confidence.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you feel he\u2019s deteriorating or you need me at all, send for me. I\u2019ll get here as soon as I can.\u201d Paul promised and turned towards the door.<\/p>\n Hoss accompanied Paul out of the room and down the stairs. As they made their way to the door Paul paused and turned, and looked at the portrait of Ben Cartwright,<\/p>\n \u201cI wish your father were here now, Hoss. Your mother needs him at times like this.\u201d he said quietly.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, sir. I wish he were here too, I miss him.\u201d<\/p>\n Paul looked at Hoss and nodded, he put a reassuring hand on the big man\u2019s arm,<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019d be surprised how many feel like that, Hoss, obviously not in the same way as yourself, but he touched a lot of people\u2019s lives. He was a big man, in more ways than one.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, sir, that\u2019s what I believe too.\u201d Hoss replied, and narrowed his eyes as he felt tears prick behind them, and he didn\u2019t want to disgrace himself in front of Paul.<\/p>\n \u201cI remember when Adam had diphtheria. Your father stayed by his side throughout it all. You were very small then yourself, it was before Marie came here. Yes, I was very impressed by the way Ben acted in caring for Adam. He was the same with you too, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d Hoss replied gruffly, and cleared his throat loudly,\u201dI can recall waking up once or twice to find him by my bedside when I was ill.\u201d Roy Coffee walked towards them as they approached the horses. He had been supervising the removal of Carter\u2019s body, which was being stowed into the back of the wagon. His black horse, which he had ridden so proudly out of town, was tied by leading rein to the back of the wagon, behind his master.<\/p>\n \u201cHow is he?\u201d Roy asked quietly, referring to Adam, and Paul sighed and shook his head, and walked over to mount his horse.<\/p>\n \u201cIs it true that Carter killed little Evie?\u201d Hoss asked, rather than dwell on Paul\u2019s lack of enthusiasm about Adam\u2019s recovery.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, quite true. There\u2019s definite proof that he killed her, but she put up a good fight to survive. We found this, Hoss, in his saddlebags along with quite a large sum of money. I think you should give it to Marie, it may explain quite a lot.\u201d he passed Hoss a slim book, a journal, which Hoss accepted with a sigh.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat about that Harry Chambers, Roy, any word about him yet?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo. And I don\u2019t think we\u2019ll ever hear of Harry Chambers again, Hoss. He\u2019s gone. Vanished. Perhaps the man may come into this part of the world again, but not by that name. I hope, one day, he makes a mistake and gets what he deserves.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe made mistakes here, even though he tried to cover his tracks, he left a pile of mistakes here.\u201d Hoss said quietly.<\/p>\n \u201cChance and unforeseen occurrence, Hoss, that\u2019s what it was, but -\u201d Roy sighed again, and shook his head, \u201cFact is, all the mistakes he made ultimately led us to David Carter. By which time Chambers had disappeared.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss nodded, and stepped back to the porch. He held the journal against his chest, and watched as the small calvacade rode slowly out of the yard and out of view. Then he turned back into the house and stood for a while, looking at Ben\u2019s picture.<\/p>\n \u201cDoggone it, Pa -\u201d he whispered, then bowed his head, turned away and walked pass the bloodied mess that seemed to be a total violation of all they held dear. Everywhere was quiet. Marie sat beside the table and by the mellow lamplight concentrated on sewing the hem of a skirt that had long required repair. For a while her head was bent over her labours, and it seemed as though she were a woman without a care in the world, as the silence enveloped her through her solitude. The glow of the light was like a halo around her golden head, and softened the lines of her face. The needle slipped in and out of the hem and gleamed in her hands. No one looking at her would have thought she had just survived one of the worse ordeals in her life.<\/p>\n Hop Sing had returned home and thrown his hands up in despair at the sight of the mess. His response had been so melodramatic, so comedic, after all that had preceded it that Marie had started to laugh, but needless to say her laughter had quickly turned to tears and she had sought comfort in the arms of her dear Hoss.<\/p>\n To a shrill accompaniment of Cantonese spoken at top speed Hop Sing bustled about the house, cleaning this and that, and gradually falling silent as the enormity of what had happened even appeared to overwhelm him. There is no pleasant aftermath to a bullet through the skull, the physical remains of which Hop Sing had to remove. As Marie sewed the hem of the skirt she thought of the loyal labours of her friend as he scrubbed the walls and carpet and furniture clean of Carter\u2019s detritus. No, he would not allow her to touch it, No, he refused to let her help him.<\/p>\n Then he had made her soothing green herbal tea and made her sit on the settee with her feet resting on (if Ben had but known) on the small occasional table in front of the hearth. Hoss had appointed himself Adam\u2019s guardian for the afternoon, and sat by the bedside patiently. Joe had taken on himself the role of caring for the chores around the yard, and checking on the mens duty roster for the coming week.<\/p>\n Now she sat and sewed. Occasionally she would lift her eyes to check on the invalid, and sometimes sigh when she saw no change. He sat barely breathing, the lightest movement of the sheet covering his body indicated the rise and fall of his lungs. There had been no sound since Hoss had lain him upon the bed after Carter\u2019s death. It was as though he had been suspended between life and death, hovering between the two.<\/p>\n The hem was secure, and she knotted the thread and snapped it in two. Then she folded away the garment and reached for a book to read. She looked at Adam. Had he moved? Was there just the faintest change in his appearance? She leaned forward and placed her soft hand upon his, how cold it was and how still.<\/p>\n \u201cAdam?\u201d she whispered, but there was no answer.<\/p>\n She sat back and looked down at her book, some poetry. She turned the page and began to read, just loud enough to make a sound trickle through the stillness of the room and perhaps be heard by the sleeper *<\/p>\n \u201cDown dropt the breeze, the sails dropt down, All in a hot and copper sky, Day after day, day after day, A sigh slipped through his lips, and instantly she was by his side, upon her knees, and took hold of his hand again. This time the fingers curled around hers, and when she looked at his face his eyes were open and he was looking down at her, a slightly puzzled expression in his eyes,<\/p>\n \u201cMa?\u201d he whispered.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, darling?\u201d she said softly, stroking back the dark curl of hair that had fallen across his brow, which now she could feel was hot and clammy to the touch, \u201cDid you want some water?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWater.\u201d he said and sighed again.<\/p>\n She turned and poured water from the carafe into a glass and then held it to his lips. It was an effort for him to raise his head and sip it, and his brow creased as though it required intense effort on his part to do so. She then settled him back down upon the pillow, and took hold of hand,<\/p>\n \u201cPoetry?\u201d he sighed, and looked at her as though mocking her, but there was some hint of Adam coming through and for that she was grateful,<\/p>\n \u201cIt was one of your books.\u201d she smiled down at him, \u201cTHe Ancient Mariner by Samuel Coleridge\u201c she paused, her smile wavered and the words caught at her throat \u201cOh Adam, I was so afraid for you. I thought you were going to die.\u201d<\/p>\n He looked at her as though he could not understand what she meant, and then closed his eyes. The hold on her hand tightened slightly, then slackened before his fingers became limp again. He whispered \u2018Ma?\u201d and slipped back into the realms of another world.<\/p>\n The tall dark man with the black eyes and booming voice stepped into the room and smiled at them. A tall for his age child, with golden curls and big blue eyes, ran to him, arms outstretched and a gleeful smile upon his cheeks, in which dimples were plainly seen. He was swung up high and both he and the man laughed. The child\u2019s laughter was high and shrill, but the man\u2019s was a shout of delight, deep and heartfelt.<\/p>\n The other boy stood by the hearth with his eyes wide and dancing with laughter. When the child had been put down onto the floor, he approached quickly and looked at his father as though asking a question, before putting out a hand which the man took and gripped firmly in both his, before sweeping the boy into his arms in a strong fatherly embrace.<\/p>\n \u201cMarie, Marie, come on in, let me introduce you to my sons, my family.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben turned, and with a broad smile, dancing black eyes, he ushered the woman into the room. The two boys and the Chinese gentleman standing before her stopped there frolics and stared at her.<\/p>\n Ben had told her about his two boys, and about Hop Sing. She felt that she knew them already, but then, when she saw them, confronted them in the flesh, she suddenly realised that she did not know them at all. It was the eldest boy who approached her first, extending his hand politely, smiling at her generously, but with a hint of wariness in his dark eyes. A handsome boy, with all the promise of becoming a very handsome young man. He tossed his head as he approached, flicking back long dark curling hair.<\/p>\n \u201cWelcome to the Ponderosa, Marie.\u201d he said warmly, sincerely. \u201cHoss, come here and say hello to Marie.\u201d he turned, stepped aside and ushered the child forward, but Hoss, shy and timid, clung to his Pa\u2019s leg and peeked at her from around them, \u201cHoss, come on, come and say hello to the pretty lady.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben stooped down and picked Hoss up and tossed him up in the air again, stepping closer to Adam and Marie,<\/p>\n \u201cHoss, say hello to your new Momma.\u201d Ben said, holding the boy in his arms and facing him towards Marie,<\/p>\n \u201cOh, he is shy,\u201d Marie said gently, and reached out to take hold of the childs hand, \u201cHello, Hoss, how are you today? I am Marie, your Maman, mother.\u201d<\/p>\n Bashful Hoss turned his face into his father\u2019s neck and then turned, peeking at her again,<\/p>\n \u201cThis is Hop Sing,\u201d Adam said proudly, introducing the other man in the room, \u201cHe\u2019s our friend. He cooks great meals. Do you cook, Marie?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI can cook.\u201d she replied, smiling, and then saw Hop Sing\u2019s lips droop, \u201cBut only when strictly necessary,\u201d and Hop Sing smiled again,<\/p>\n \u201cMissy need nevah cook again. Hop Sing cook, cook all the time.\u201d Hop Sing bowed over her hand, and then shook it gently, as though he were handling fragile porcelain.<\/p>\n \u201cAdam, it\u2019s a pleasure to meet you at last. Your father has told me so much about you.\u201d she smiled at him, wanting to capture his heart, wanting him to surrender it to her without her having to wrestle with the past, with other claims and previous loyalties. He smiled,<\/p>\n \u201cPa wrote quite a lot about you too, Marie.\u201d (was he over emphasising something here by insisting on calling her Marie? Was it his way of telling her, reminding her, that she was not his mother. It was early days, she resolved to be patient, after all, she had been there only five minutes). \u201cHe said you were very pretty, but I think you are really lovely,\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s a real compliment,\u201d Ben laughed, perhaps a little embarrassed, certainly very relieved. The meeting had been, thankfully, easier than he had anticipated.<\/p>\n He was proud of them all. Marie for being everything that he had hoped she would be, and for the boys, dressed in their best clothes and ready to receive her into their home and their lives. He tweaked Adam\u2019s hair as he passed in a teasing paternal gesture, a reminder that it needed to get shorn, and Adam smiled and shrugged. The boy was growing up, and in the past months in which they had been apart, it was quite obvious.<\/p>\n Marie took off her coat and Hop Sing was immediately there to receive it with a bow. She wondered if he would be popping up like this every time she wanted to go in or out of the house, and hoped she would be patient enough to handle it. Patience was not part of Marie\u2019s temperament at that time. She looked around the room, and then at the children. Hoss was a cherubic looking child, four years of age, with the biggest blue eyes. He stared at her all the time from the safety of his father\u2019s arms. Adam was tall and thin for his age, she calculated that he would be eleven now, although he looked older. He was dark skinned, tanned from his constant time in the sun. She noted that he had lovely hands, changing from those of a child into an adolescent. He was trying to act nonchalant, as though meeting a new step mother was nothing out of the ordinary after all. Every now and again he would turn and look at her, regard her gravely, and she knew that he was wondering what life was going to be now, now that they were a foursome, now that there was a woman in their lives.<\/p>\n Chapter 42<\/p>\n Adam stirred in his sleep. His memories were becoming too real. He could see her there, standing in front of them, the smile on her face and the anxiety in her eyes. It had been a difficult first meeting for them all. But that was the time they had met, the time he had first seen and spoken to the woman who was his new Ma. Now it trickled through his mind as he languished in this half way house , this nothingness of life.<\/p>\n It seemed as though the only part of him functioning at all was his brain. It shuffled and reshuffled memories back and forth like a pack of cards. Sometimes he would sense someone in the room, hear their voice, and a word or two that they would utter would send his brain flicking through the memories until he found one that would appear to fit.<\/p>\n Hoss came in one morning to sit with him, and talked about the ranch. He told Adam how the new saplings were doing just fine despite the heat. Branding was good, more calves this year that previous, a record for the Ponderosa. Of course, Sport was worried about his master, and looked to be pining as he was refusing his food.<\/p>\n Flick,Flick went the memories and there he was watching a herd of horses thundering through the valley. He was with Pa and several hands astride a horse of some non-descript looks. Pa had set up an arrangement with the army to supply them with horses. Quite an enterprise then especially as Eagle Station was still a pretty unknown location.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s some fine horses down there, son. Seen any you like?\u201d Ben has cast a smile at his son, and his eyes had looked at him with pride. Adam had been on horse roundups several times now, and each time was more skilled at handling a rope, picking out a horse. Seamus O\u2019Malley had said to Ben that his son was going to be a top notch horseman the way he could pick out a good horse. That had been the day Adam had first seen Sport. Sport was young and gangly and thought he was king of the herd, despite his ability to fall over his own feet. But he had a mischief, stubborn look in his eye and Adam liked the look of him.<\/p>\n In his memory now he fought that tussle all over again. Roping the lively youngster and talking him through his fear of man. As Adam muttered and tossed in the fever ridden bed, Marie had wiped his brow and wondered what ailed him. She had called Hop Sing who had rightly diagnosed a brain fever. By the time they had administered the medicine Adam had re-fought his battle with Sport, and once again the horse had lost.<\/p>\n He heard Joe talking in a low voice and the word Ma spoken repeatedly, and he drifted back to the time when a pretty young woman with a thick accent had cuddled him, and told him he could call her Ma.<\/p>\n \u201cReally? Like the other kids?\u201d the little boy with the freckled nose had looked up at her and exclaimed, with his eyes wide and bright, \u201cA real Ma of my own?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Adam, a real Ma of your own.\u201d and Inger had laughed and held him close. He had liked that, he had liked her smell and her warmth, and the difference in the way her body was to Pa\u2019s. It was what mother\u2019s were like, he thought, because he had seen other boys and girls with their Ma\u2019s being held and cuddled.<\/p>\n He remembered Inger laughing at the little foal that had been born, thanks to her ministrations. Lovely, laughing Inger.<\/p>\n \u201cMa,\u201d he whispered, and a tear trickled from his eyes, \u201cOh Ma.\u201d he sighed and Marie leaned forward and whispered something in his ear, not realising that he was weeping for another mother, another woman.<\/p>\n There was the sudden surge of fear as they waited for Hoss to be born, and his memory trickled around to the time he sat in the wagon with Ben and looked at the baby, and exclaimed \u2018He\u2019s a big \u2018un\u2019 and Ben and Inger had laughed. Ben laughed a lot those days.<\/p>\n \u201cPa laughed a lot then, you know,\u201d he whispered to no-body in particular because his world was enveloped in darkness and he was it\u2019s lone occupant, but Marie had held his hand and raised it to her cheek, and wept.<\/p>\n Noise filled his head, feet scuffling across the floorboards and the sound of gunfire. Shrieks and screams. Pa had cried out in a loud voice. Hoss cried and his baby mouth opened, wet and gummy, seeking solace. Adam relived the moment and cried out aloud<\/p>\n \u201cINGER\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s all right,\u201d Joe whispered and gave him some water to drink that tasted bitter. It was Joe who sat through the night with him, made sure the pillow was cool, and wiped his brow as he muttered and mumbled through the misery of that time when he had lost Inger. Ben had lost hope, and Adam had lost his Ma.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n \u201cHow is he?\u201d Marie asked. She looked at Joe who stood up as she entered the room. The room smelt like a sick room. She walked to the window and pushed it open a little more.<\/p>\n \u201cMa, do you think he\u2019s going to pull through this?\u201d Joe asked, and he clenched his teeth together in anticipation of her reply, but she just stood there, staring out of the window. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Joe. I\u2019m just so tired.\u201d she turned and looked at him. We all look like we\u2019ve been under a seige, she thought, this is intolerable. She shook her head, and smiled, \u201cGo and rest, Joe. Hop Sing has cooked a good hearty breakfast and you need to get something to eat, and to rest for a little while.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think he\u2019s going to pull through, Ma. It\u2019s been too long now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut, he is calmer now, isn\u2019t he?\u201d she said, approaching the bed and looking down at Adam, and then she frowned, \u201cHe has a temperature.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not surprised, I\u2019m not sure what demons he was fighting last night, but it sure was a battle royal.\u201d Joe sighed, \u201cShall I go and get Paul?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSend one of the men.\u201d she replied, \u201cJoe, you will rest, won\u2019t you? I can\u2019t handle it if you were ill too.\u201d<\/p>\n He smiled and nodded, and dropped a kiss on her brow. Then he was gone, the door closed softly behind him, and she heard his footsteps hurry along the landing.<\/p>\n \u201cAdam? My dear boy, you have to fight this, you know,\u201d she whispered, \u201cDon\u2019t give in to it, just fight as hard as you can.\u201d<\/p>\n He opened his eyes then and looked directly at her. He had woken during the night, during the ordeal with Inger and Joe had been there. Now he found her again, and he sighed deeply, and raised his hand towards her,<\/p>\n \u201cWhere\u2019s Joe?\u201d he croaked through parched lips.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s gone to rest.\u201d she replied, and knelt by the side of the bed, taking hold of his hand, it was hot and dry. Too hot. She could see the red rouge spots of fever in his cheeks. The dark eyes were slightly sunken into hollows, dark hollows.<\/p>\n Every morning Hop Sing would come and carefully shave him. Then sit with him for several hours to give the rest of the family time to do other things. She had about an hour before that morning ritual would take place. She knelt beside the bed, and held his hand.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n \u201cWhere\u2019s Joe?\u201d he heard his voice ask the question and then his brain ticked back the years, and he was a boy again, standing in the doorway of the big bedroom, and looking at his Pa.<\/p>\n \u201cHere he is,\u201d Ben was laughing, holding in his arms a swaddled package that squirmed and bawled. A little clenched fist appeared from the folds of the shawl, \u201cGentlemen, may I present JOSEPH FRANCIS CARTWRIGHT.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss and Adam exchanged looks, smiled at one another, and then stampeded into the room to have a look at this little miracle. Ben lowered his arms for them to peer into the shawl and gaze upon the infant protesting very volubly at his entry into the world,<\/p>\n \u201cIs that MY baby?\u201d Hoss asked, wide eyed with wonder, and looking from Ben to Marie in confusion.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t be silly, Hoss, it\u2019s Pa and Ma\u2019s baby. It\u2019s our brother.\u201d Adam had said, a slightly patronising tone in his voice and he smiled broadly and leaned forwards to touch the little face with his finger.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, Adam, what do you think of your brother, huh?\u201d Ben asked, his eyes twinkling with pride.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, Pa, compared to the last one I got this one is kinda puny, ain\u2019t he?\u201d Adam laughed, and was pleased to hear laughter from his father and Marie, he turned to look at her, and smiled, \u201cHe\u2019s real cute, Ma.\u201d<\/p>\n Marie nodded, and settled back into the pillows. Had it really required a difficult pregnancy, ten hours labour, to get this boy to call her Ma? She smiled and looked at her husband, how proud he was, goodness me, she thought, he\u2019ll explode with happiness if he\u2019s not careful.<\/p>\n \u201cHe is kinda small,\u201d Hoss said thoughtfully, giving the baby a prod with his forefinger.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s because he was born before he was ready,\u201d Marie explained, \u201cWe weren\u2019t expecting him for another few weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy\u2019d he come so early for then?\u201d Hoss queried, jumping up onto the bed and snuggling into Marie\u2019s arms, and he sighed contentedly, \u201cdidn\u2019t you know he was coming? Was it a surprise?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cKinda,\u201d Ben said quietly and looked over at Marie, and they shared a smile for the last 24 hours had been frighteningly dire, ones that made Ben recall Elizabeth\u2019s loss, and for Marie, the agony of her own secret sorrow.<\/p>\n \u201cWe should call him Little Joe,\u201d Hoss declared, \u201cseeing how small he is.\u201d<\/p>\n They had all agreed to that, laughed over it, and declared Hoss to be as bright as a button. Hoss beamed cherry red and basked in the glory of it. For Adam it was a turning point in his life, he had accepted that he was to share Pa with Marie for the rest of his life, and that this little infant was to be protected and loved, forever. \u201cPa? What\u2019s wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s Little Joe, Adam. He\u2019s ill. Very ill.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut he can\u2019t be, Pa, he\u2019s only just been born.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam felt panic, fear, it made his hair prickle on the back of his neck and he ran into the big room where Marie sat, the baby in her arms, tears coursing their way down her cheeks.<\/p>\n \u201cMa? Ma?\u201d he cried, \u201cMa. Is he going t be alright?\u201d and Marie had looked at him, shook her head, and dissolved into tears. In her arms the baby was limp and the tiny heart could be seen under the thin skin, pumping so fast that Adam promptly burst into tears.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026 \u201cLittle Joe?\u201d Adam whispered, \u201cLittle Joe, don\u2019t die, don\u2019t die, little man.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJoe\u2019s all right, Adam. He\u2019ssafe, he\u2019s here with me.\u201d Marie whispered, wondering what nightmare it was that Adam was travelling through now.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n The boy pushed open the door and looked at his father. Unobserved Ben had his hands over his face and was whispering words that seemed to make no sense to the twelve year old, until he realised that his father was praying. He heard Ben say \u201cPlease, God, please, I beg you, please spare him for us.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPa?\u201d<\/p>\n Ben stopped and turned, his face was pale and the dark eyes glistened. Adam had a terrible foreboding, the same haunted look on his fathers face as had been there years before, when Inger had left them. He slipped closer to his father, and put his arms around the man\u2019s neck, and leaned his head against Ben\u2019s shoulder,<\/p>\n \u201cPa?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, son?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDid you pray like this when I was born?\u201d<\/p>\n Ben felt a shudder run down his back, a tremor that Adam felt for he shivered as though in response.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I prayed. Of course I prayed.\u201d Ben replied with a quavering voice.<\/p>\n \u201cThen why did she die?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t explain that, son.\u201d Ben replied, his throat tightening.<\/p>\n \u201cWas it my fault, Pa? Did I get born too soon, like Joe? Is that why?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, son. Your mother, Elizabeth, had been weak for a long time before you arrived. It was – something that happened. I can\u2019t explain why.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut you prayed for her to get well, didn\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n Ben closed his eyes, and nodded. His head was full of fears for Joe and now his son was asking questions about something that had happened 12 years previously. He sighed,<\/p>\n \u201cIt happened too quickly.\u201d Adam had nodded and took a deep breath. He walked away, back to the door, and looked back at the haggard faced man he had just left,<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll go and have a good long prayer myself, Pa.\u201d he said quietly.<\/p>\n Ben nodded, could say nothing, could barely swallow his throat had gone too dry.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n \u201cPray for him.\u201d Adam whispered, and clutched hold of a hand, someone\u2019s hand, as it was, it turned out to be Hoss\u2019.<\/p>\n \u201cSure, Adam, sure we will.\u201d Hoss replied softly and looked over at Paul Martin, who shook his head, and bit down on his bottom lip as though to stifle any words that may have broken the atmosphere in which they were now.<\/p>\n Marie knelt by the side of Adam\u2019s bed, wiping the face that was wet with rolling perspiration, a pool of which puddled at his throat. She looked at Joe, at Hoss, and bowed her head so that they could not see her tears.<\/p>\n Adam gave a shuddering sigh. His body heaved and his fingers tightened around Hoss\u2019. Then he was still. Quite still.<\/p>\n \u201cIs it over? Is he all right?\u201d Joe asked, his voice shrill, caught on a sob.<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d Marie whispered, \u201cIt\u2019s over.\u201d<\/p>\n Chapter 49<\/p>\n Adam closed the journal and then settled back against the pillows. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the cool breeze from the window as it drifted over him. The worst thing about being an invalid was the frustration on being tied down to a bed because of being just too weak to get out of it. Patience was not a virtue where Adam Cartwright was concerned, and despite trying really hard not to become too bad tempered, he could see that he was already beginning to wear his family\u2019s forbearance down.<\/p>\n But, oh, it was so irritating to hear the sounds from outside and feel the longing to be out there with everyone doing what he should be doing instead of having to stay in the wretched bed. He folded his arms behind his head and thought over the contents of the journal that Marie had given him to read as a mental exercise.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you can\u2019t exercise anything else, young man, read this and tell me what you think I should do about it,\u201d she had said handing it to him with a smile.<\/p>\n He sighed, and thought again about the cruel irony that had David, Sophia and Evie sharing a grave-yard, side by side, as a family group really, when in real life they had been so far apart. It was cruel what had happened to little Evie, crueller still the life Sophia had been forced to endure.<\/p>\n David\u2019s duplicity had been revealed with regard to the money in the various accounts he was stealing from, including one of Adam\u2019s. Although people shook their heads and muttered \u2018I\u2019m not at all surprised, I had him pegged as a bad \u2018un right from the start\u2019 it had shaken them, and quite a few closed their accounts at the First National and transferred it to its main competitor in town.<\/p>\n It had also been discovered that Sophia had been far more astute than many had assumed. Far from living a life of sin (as some ladies who should have known better had rumoured it around the town) she had bought shares in various mining corporations whenever she had had enough money to do so. This had reaped her sufficient funds to keep Evie and herself in decent accommodation, food and clothing. Marie had felt truly sad about this fact, having accepted, like the vast majority, that the rumours about Sophia\u2019s source of income were true.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel terrible,\u201d she had told Adam and he had merely sighed and said it was too late now, and what was the point of worrying about it, Sophia was beyond being hurt by gossip mongers any more. Hop Sing\u2019s entrance was so unexpected that Adam realised that he had fallen asleep. He blinked and turned his head, screwing up his eyes to take in the shape of the woman who was standing at the doorway.<\/p>\n She was a slim young woman, probably not much older than Joe, with very blonde hair and blue eyes. Her face was pale, thin, and she looked a nervy kind of woman, despite the fact she was already married and expecting a child.<\/p>\n \u201cGood morning, Adam. I hope I have not disturbed your rest.\u201d she stepped further into the room, and looked about her, before setting down the posy of flowers upon the side table, \u201cI met your step-mother in town, she said you were getting very bored, so I thought I would bring you some books to read.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s very thoughtful of you, Mrs Dayton. Thank you.\u201d Adam smiled and nodded affably at her.<\/p>\n She produced a package, three books tied up in a blue bow. Adam nodded again and smiled once more. How like Laura Dayton to \u2018prettify\u2019 a parcel of books.<\/p>\n \u201cThat was kind of you to think of me, Mrs Dayton. I appreciate it. You must be very busy yourself right now, what with the branding season coming up.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBranding?\u201d her pale brow furrowed slightly and the over large blue eyes looked anxious and nervous, they darted around the room as though she were looking for her personal branding iron and calf, \u201cI don\u2019t know \u2026 about things like that,\u201d she paused, \u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo need to be,\u201d Adam replied, wondering what it must be like in the Dayton household. He had heard that her husband had taken to drink, and she looked the kind of person who would find that hard to live with on a daily basis. He drew his bottom lip over his teeth, and frowned, \u201cHave you had anything to drink yet, Mrs Dayton\u201d oh – clarify it quickly \u201cTea, I mean?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, but it\u2019s fine, just fine, Adam. I – I have to get back home anyway, Frank doesn\u2019t like me being away from home too long.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course not,\u201d Adam sighed, and nodded, \u201cHow long before the baby arrives?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, several months yet.\u201d she blushed, and lowered her eyes, a little embarrassed perhaps in talking about such things with another man, and alone with him in his bedroom no less!<\/p>\n \u201cAnd – \u201c Adam groped to find what else he could to say to her, \u201cAnd do you hope for a boy or a girl?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA girl,\u201d she replied most definitely, \u201cI don\u2019t think I would be too good with boys. A girl would be easier.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, if it turns out to be a boy, you can always ask Marie for advice.\u201d he smiled over at her, his brown eyes kindly, but tired.<\/p>\n \u201cI was sorry to hear about what happened to you, Adam.\u201d she sighed then, and smiled, a pretty smile but tense. Everything, Adam thought, was tense around Laura, one could not help but wonder if she were actually unhappy. \u201cI hope you enjoy the books. If you want any more, please let me know.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, I guess I\u2019ll be up and about soon,\u201d Adam replied and thought he saw disappointment in her eyes, but she said nothing, just smiled again and bade her farewells.<\/p>\n Adam rubbed the back of his head, and sighed. Yesterday he had had a visit from Widow Hawkins who regaled him with tales of her days touring around the world with her husband, the wonderful \u2018Arry \u2018Awkins. By the end of her visit he was exhausted and Marie had said that was proof enough that he just was not well and should not even think of getting up just yet.<\/p>\n How he would love to get up and walk about, to feel the fresh air on his face again and the sun. He wanted to ride Sport. Just to ride out through the Ponderosa and feel the wind against his skin. Darn it, but he was going crazy and if Hop Sing were to admit any more women into his room \u2026 the journal fell with a thud on the floor, and he groaned in irritation, leaned over to retrieve it and fell out of bed.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n Marie sat opposite him, writing a letter. She had made it a habit since his recovery to do a lot of personal things like this in his room, so that he would have some continuity in his life. She looked up at him and smiled,<\/p>\n \u201cI hear you had a visitor today?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLaura Dayton. She brought me some books to read.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat was kind of her.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMmm.\u201d Adam sighed, \u201cI was thinking of getting up tomorrow. Just going downstairs for a bit.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThinking and doing are two different things, Adam. Wait and see what Paul has to say first.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDrat it, Ma -\u201d he closed his eyes, shook his head, re-opened them and looked at her stern face, \u201cSorry, I meant \u2026 \u201c<\/p>\n \u201cI know what you meant, young man.\u201d she said sternly, \u201cWhat did Mrs Dayton have to say while she was here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot much. I don\u2019t think she\u2019s very happy, do you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow can she be, her husband isn\u2019t the kindest man in town.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam said nothing to that, but settled back against the pillows and thought of the things he could be doing right now if he were fit enough to do them. He\u2019d saddle up Sport and ride into town. Go to the Sazarak or the Bucket of Blood, have something to drink.<\/p>\n \u201cAdam?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Ma?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat did you think about Sophia\u2019s journal?\u201d she looked down at her letter, attempting to appear not really that interested, that this was just a casual enquiry.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was sad. It was interesting. What else do you want me to say, Ma?\u201d he smiled, knowing her too well to fall in with her game.<\/p>\n \u201cAbout \u2026 about Clay. My son. What did you think about what she had to say?\u201d a little colour rouged her cheeks and her eyes glittered, as though with tears.<\/p>\n \u201cIt seems to tally with what you were told about your child from David Carter. It was a despicable thing to do, but it seems in keeping with the character of your parents-in-law.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJean\u2019s parents did not like me, Adam. The de Marigny family considered themselves to be the hub of the social elite in New Orleans. I was French Creole, and not worthy of their son. You met Jean, so you will know how kind he was, so different from his mother.\u201d she sighed, and she was silent for a few moments as she thought of her first husband. She had been very young when she had married Jean, but she had loved him with a passion.<\/p>\n \u201cI can understand why you loved him. Pa thought a lot about him, that\u2019s why he wanted Jean buried here on the Ponderosa. Life has a strange way of dealing with things, if Jean had not travelled here, and died here, then Pa would never have gone to see you in New Orleans. It was only due to how often, how lovingly, Jean spoke about you, that Pa felt he had to go and let you know of his death. Most people would have had a letter,\u201d he smiled slowly, thinking back to the time when Ben had made the decision to go to this widow, whom Jean de Marigny had loved so much.<\/p>\n Marie nodded, and looked down at her letter. Adam watched her for a moment in silence, thinking and trying to understand how she must have felt when she had been told her husband and son had died while she herself had been so ill. Then discovering it had all been a tissue of lies.<\/p>\n \u201cMa?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere is one thing that concerns me. David Carter referred to your son as Clay Stafford. But he\u2019s Jean\u2019s son, so he should be de Marigny, surely?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe was named Clayton Stafford Charles de Marigny.\u201d Marie said with a smile as she recalled the morning she and Jean had held the infant in their arms and chosen his names, \u201cStafford was the name of a dear friend of mine.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo, for some reason, your Clayton de Marigny has chosen to be known as Clay Stafford. I wonder why?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWho knows?\u201d she shrugged her shoulders prettily, and put down her pen, leaned against the chair, \u201cHe could be dead, couldn\u2019t he?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPossibly.\u201d Adam replied, chewing the inside of his cheek as he thought about it.<\/p>\n \u201cAdam, what would you do if you were me? Would you go and look for him?\u201d her eyes looked beseechingly at him, begging him to say the words she wanted him to say,<\/p>\n \u201cWhat can I say, Ma? I\u2019m not you, and I don\u2019t ever want to be in this kind of situation, so I don\u2019t know how I would react.\u201d he saw the disappointment flood over her face and bit his lip, he had said all the wrong things, and was annoyed with himself as a result. He reached out and touched her hand, \u201cLet me put it like this, Ma. If someone came and told me that Elizabeth Stoddard Cartwright were alive today, I would do everything in my power, come hell or high water, to find her.\u201d<\/p>\n She clutched at his hand and her fingers tightened around his, and she smiled, although it wobbled slightly,<\/p>\n \u201cWhat if I wouldn\u2019t let you, after all, I have been your mother for over 18 years now?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know. And my mother never knew me. Clay Stafford has never known you. But \u2026I wouldn\u2019t stop you wanting to find him, Ma. Nor would Joseph, nor would Hoss.\u201d and he sighed and settled back against the pillows. He felt enormously tired. If he could only ride his horse, he thought, he would ride over the hills, through the Ponderosa, smell the pine and feel the sun on his back and the wind on his skin\u2026if only\u2026<\/p>\n Chapter 50<\/p>\n Summer was over now. A cooler breeze blew down from the sierras and threatened them with the first flurries of snow. The ranch hands had been, in the main, paid off and were returning to their homes or journeying on to new tasks for the winter with other employers. A small core of hands remained in the bunk house, for despite the bad weather, there was still a lot of work to be done on a ranch the size of the Ponderosa.<\/p>\n Marie Cartwright was restless and had been so for some weeks. Like many women she had put her plan to find Clay into action as soon as she had been able to do so. She had written to various people she knew in New Orleans and had been desperately longing for news from them ever since. She had one letter returned with Return to Sender stamped on it, and another had replied with the news that the correspondent had died some years previously.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel so useless,\u201d she protested one evening, \u201cNothing seems to be going right.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUh-huh,\u201d Hoss muttered, and slammed three checkers down, and grinned, \u201cBeat that, buddy.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAre you kidding me?\u201d Joe replied, and immediately ended the game by taking all of Hoss checkers in one foul swoop.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, you didn\u2019t have to do it that quickly,\u201d Hoss groaned, and began to collect his checkers up, he looked over at Adam, \u201cHow about a game, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot right now,\u201d came the reply, \u201cI\u2019ve got this to sort out.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCan\u2019t it wait until tomorrow?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNope,\u201d and Adam glanced up, caught Marie\u2019s eye and smiled, \u201cDon\u2019t worry, Ma, things will work out. After all these years you can\u2019t expect all the strands to come together right away.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure, Ma, it\u2019ll be fine. You\u2019ll see, when you stop expecting news to come, it\u2019ll arrive in bundles.\u201d Joe grinned, \u201cAin\u2019t that right?\u201d<\/p>\n Marie smiled and shook her head, it seemed as though no one else was taking the matter very seriously. She resumed her reading. Perhaps, she thought, they really didn\u2019t want it to be resolved. Another man entering their lives. A stranger with blood claims to Joe, and not to Adam or Hoss could cause a major disruption in their lives. Then she thought back to the experience with David, and how much of a disruption he would have made.<\/p>\n Adam was working on the ledgers, checking figures with a swiftness that Marie still found hard to compete with, and Joe and Hoss didn\u2019t even try. He ended his work by closing the ledger quietly, putting away the pen and closing the ink well. Then he stretched, reaching high to the ceiling, and yawned. He glanced up at the picture of his father, and then looked around the room.<\/p>\n Sitting at the big desk Adam tried to visualise what it would have been like had Marie died, and Ben had lived. Would Joe and Hoss still be playing and squabbling over a game of checkers .. No doubt they would have been, but instead of it being under the benevolent eye of a doting mother, it would have been under Ben\u2019s dark eyes. How would it have been?<\/p>\n There was Marie sitting in the red leather chair, with her glass of wine and a vase of fresh flowers on the side table. She was reading, Hoss and Joe playing checkers. But what if Pa were there instead? Perhaps he would have been sitting there, puffing away at one of his pipes, sending up clouds of smoke if he were reading something with which he disagreed. He would talk about what they had done during the day, what had to be done the next. Man\u2019s talk. It would have been \u2026 well\u2026 it would have been different.<\/p>\n …………….<\/p>\n The breeze had stiffened into quite a cold wind by the time Joe and Hoss had reached Virginia City. They rode down the main street looking about them, seeing the changes that had taken place since their last visit, noting the new faces, the new buildings. Life was full of changes in this ever evolving gold boom town. Since the Comstock had been discovered there was a constant flow of eager newcomers in search of that crock of gold at the bottom of their particular rainbow.<\/p>\n Hop Sing drove the wagon on towards the Chinese quarter, to where his cousins had a laundry and did the Ponderosa\u2019s weekly wash. Later, after conversation and tea, he would take the wagon to the Cass\u2019 store to load up the groceries. It was a custom borne of habit, as he drove unerringly down the middle of the street, carefully avoiding careless pedestrians and aimless cowboys.<\/p>\n Little Joe pulled the collar of his jacket higher and wished he had put on a heavier coat. He edged Cochise to the hitching rail outside Cass\u2019 General Store and dismounted, waiting for Hoss to join him. Together they entered the building, closing the door sharply to prevent the wind from blowing the more fragile items from their various shelves.<\/p>\n Will Cass glanced over at them and nodded a greeting. A dour man, made more bitter than ever with the death of his wife, and the murder of his son. His only pleasure in life was his daughter, Sally. Sally bore the burden of being Will Cass\u2019 only joy very well, it was a heavy load for a young girl to carry for Wills nature was not kindly now, but had soured with the anger he had felt over the loss of his young boy.<\/p>\n She smiled at them both, and continued to serve her customer, a tall thickset man with a scowl on his face. Little Joe and Hoss exchanged a glance behind the man\u2019s back, it was obvious from the smell of him that he had already imbibed rather too much.<\/p>\n Frank Dayton turned and looked at them both, nodded and continued to see to the packing up of his groceries. Having been thus acknowledged Little Joe felt it only right to enquire into the welfare of his wife, Laura.<\/p>\n \u201cHow\u2019s Laura, Frank? When\u2019s the baby due?\u201d he forced a smile. Sometimes it was like walking on eggs talking to Frank, one never knew which way he was going to twist the conversation. He had been known to turn even a simple greeting into an insult that required satisfaction with fists.<\/p>\n \u201cThe baby arrived yesterday. I\u2019ve been wetting her head.\u201d Frank replied gruffly, and leaned heavily on the counter. \u201cHave to admit that I didn\u2019t want a puny girl. I needed a son and heir, but she\u2019s here now, and that pretty. Never thought a scrawny little thing could have such an effect on me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, that\u2019s great, Frank,\u201d Hoss exclaimed and tapped the other man on the chest, \u201cI bet Laura\u2019s mighty pleased having a gal, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re calling her Peggy.\u201d Frank replied, dismissing Hoss\u2019 comments as though they had never been said, \u201cBlue eyed Peggy\u201d he smiled, a rare thing in itself recently, and Little Joe glanced at Hoss and raised his eyebrows. Thankfully, Frank did not notice. He picked up the box of groceries \u201cSoon as I got this in the wagon I\u2019m going over to the Bucket of Blood to wet the baby\u2019s head. Why not come over. The drinks are on me.\u201d he looked at them both with narrowed eyes, and then with a sour smile he left the building.<\/p>\n \u201cPhew, I don\u2019t know how he manages to stand up straight.\u201d Little Joe muttered, waving his hand in front of his face to dispel the stench, \u201cLaura must be having a tough time of it with him being like that all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s a mess,\u201d Sally said quietly, and took the order from Hoss, ran her eyes down it and nodded, \u201cWe\u2019ve got all these in stock, Hoss. I\u2019ll go and get them for you. How\u2019s Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s fine. Busy.\u201d Little Joe replied, thinking to himself how nicely Sally was growing up. The gangly little girl was developing into a very attractive and curvaceous young woman. Joe was inclined to notice things like that.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd Mrs Cartwright? Is she well?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMa\u2019s fine, a bit restless because\u2026\u201d Hoss paused, remembering that no one was supposed to be told about Marie\u2019s first born son, he gulped back the words, \u201cAny new books arrive since we last came, Sal?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s the weather,\u201d Sally said quietly, reaching for a sack of coffee beans, \u201cIt makes a lot of people really restless.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I guess that\u2019s what it is,\u201d Joe said and nodded amiably, before joining Hoss at the book shelves.<\/p>\n They found several that they assumed their brother and mother had not yet read, and took them to Sally, asking her to put them in with their order.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m going to see if there\u2019s any mail, Little Joe,\u201d Hoss said, \u201cYou coming?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure,\u201d Joe turned, after tipping his hat to Sally, and followed his brother from the store. They stood on the side walk for a moment and looked up and down, \u201cShall I meet you at the Sazarac?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I\u2019ll get the mail and then see you there.\u201d<\/p>\n Little Joe nodded, satisfied that he had the best of the deal, he tipped his hat a little lower and walked jauntily across to the Sazarac. A scattering of rain fell as he crossed the road, and when he walked through the saloon doors he brushed the raindrops from his jacket as he looked around the room.<\/p>\n \u201cHi, Little Joe,\u201d Lil called over from the far side of the room, and waved him over to join her. \u201cHow\u2019s everything at the Ponderosa? How\u2019s your brother, Adam? Tell him we miss seeing him hereabouts, will ya?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure will, Lil,\u201d Joe smiled, and leaned one elbow on the counter, while he indicated two beers to Charley. \u201cHow\u2019s things, Lil? You seem pretty quiet in here today.\u201d<\/p>\n Lil shrugged her plump shoulders and hoisted up the shoulder strap to her dress, a scarlet and black affair with lots of sequins, rather too short and too low. She perched herself on a chair at the table nearest to the bar, and signalled to him to join her,<\/p>\n \u201cTruth is, Little Joe, we just had some trouble. Roy\u2019s arrested a couple of card sharps, and it\u2019s kinda scared the customers away. You know how it is?\u201d she smiled as he asked Charley to get Lil a drink, \u201cAnyway, it\u2019s early yet, the crowd will start trickling in soon.\u201d she took the glass of bourbon and sniffed it, smiled over at Charley and winked at Joe, \u201cHave you seen Frank Dayton yet?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIn Cass\u2019 store just now.\u201d Joe raised the glass to his mouth, and gulped down some beer. He was still quite new to this visiting saloons and chatting to saloon girls, Adam had kept a tight rein on his little brother and not allowed him such freedoms until he was considered mature enough by Marie and himself. Joe had gained the privilege only the previous year and enjoyed it. With winter closing in on them he knew that it was only a matter of time before the snows would seal up the pass into town, so he wanted to make the most of the privilege that he could, \u201cHe looked like he had enough to drink already,\u201d he added, wiping foam from his upper lip.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019d think he would be more sensible.\u201d Lil leaned forwards, \u201cHe\u2019s got a pretty wife, a new baby and that ranch of his is doing pretty well. If he carries on like this, he\u2019ll lose everything.\u201d she sipped her drink, \u201cI\u2019ve seen it happen before, Little Joe, too often.\u201d<\/p>\n The saloon doors opened and closed, sending a cold gust of air into the saloon. Two cowboys entered and glanced over at them, then turned their attention to ordering their own drinks. They put their heads together to have a low and private conversation.<\/p>\n Little Joe drank some more beer, and leaned back in his chair. He really only wanted to be able to enjoy a quiet beer and the feeling of being part of it all. Part of being this community. He liked being sociable and gregarious. He was wondering what was keeping Hoss when the doors opened again and a crowd of men came in, brushing off the rain that was now falling heavily.<\/p>\n \u201cExcuse me, Joe sweetheart, but I gotta go, business beckons,\u201d Lil whispered, and disappeared amid the throng in a swirl of scarlet and sequins.<\/p>\n The noise of voice was becoming overloud. It was quite an explosive mix of company, cowboys, farmers and homesteaders, and some miners. The two men arrested earlier were miners, and the men who had now come in were eager to get retribution for their companions. Someone yelled an insult, another yelled back, Lil screamed, and within seconds trouble exploded.<\/p>\n A bottle was thrown at the mirror behind Charley, which shattered and fell in shards upon the floor. Fists flew. The saloon girls fled to the safety of the stairs and added their screams to the cacophony of noise that was now resounding through the saloon and out into the street.<\/p>\n Joe hugged his glass close to his chest. He was still but a boy and these were battle scared old campaigners of many a saloon brawl. Without Adam and Hoss by his side he felt naked, vulnerable.<\/p>\n His table was overturned as two men, locked in combat, toppled into it. A fist came in his direction but he ducked in time to avoid it. Falling to his hands and knees he scurried to the safety of a table close by to the wall. A chair was hurled in his direction and missed him by inches. Scurrying onwards he made for a door, reached out a hand and turned the door knob, pushed the door open and rolled into the room. He closed the door firmly behind him and heaved a sigh of relief. He wiped his brow with the back of his hand and turned \u2026<\/p>\n \u201cWho are you?\u201d he said and so did she \u2026 they said it together \u2026 simultaneously.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll scream. Just get out. I\u2019m warning you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut, Ma\u2019am, Miss, they\u2019ll kill me if I go out there.\u201d he raised a hat to shield his face, so that his eyes could not see something that would embarrass her more than she had been by his unexpected entrance, \u201cI\u2019m sure sorry, but I\u2019d be real grateful if you wouldn\u2019t mind me staying until it calms down out there.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWait then, and just stay as you are,\u201d the young woman commanded, and Joe heard the rustling of clothes being hastily put on. \u201cAll right, you can look now.\u201d<\/p>\n He looked and blinked. Then chewed on his bottom lip,<\/p>\n \u201cMiss, I\u2019m sure sorry, I didn\u2019t know this was a private room. I thought it was the side door to the alley.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re very young to be frequenting saloons, aren\u2019t you? I bet our Ma doesn\u2019t know you\u2019re here,\u201d she teased now, and sat down on a rather precarious looking stool.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not that young, and my Ma does know I\u2019m here,\u201d Joe replied, raising his chin challengingly, defiantly. \u201cYou\u2019re new here, aren\u2019t you, otherwise you wouldn\u2019t have asked that, because you\u2019d know who I am.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, so? Who are you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m Joseph Cartwright from the Ponderosa.\u201d he replied, hoping his voice sounded deep and manly and impressive.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, hello, Joseph Cartwright from the Ponderosa. I\u2019m Joy, Joy Marsden.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, you\u2019re Charley\u2019s daughter, aren\u2019t you?\u201d he took her hand, which she had offered to him very daintily, \u201cI heard that he was expecting you back home sometime before winter. Well, how do you do, Miss Marsden. I\u2019m \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know, Joe Cartwright.\u201d she laughed, a nice pleasant laugh, warm and husky. Her eyes, deep blue, twinkled, \u201cI must say, I didn\u2019t expect to get a visit from the Ponderosa quite so soon. I\u2019ve heard all about you and your family. You\u2019re very rich, aren\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe smiled and raised his very expressive eyebrows. Adam and Hoss had warned him loud and long to avoid girls who discussed their money, wealth or land with him as soon as the introductions had been made. He turned towards the door, but it shuddered suddenly from the onslaught of some heavy object, and so he was forced to turn back and face her.<\/p>\n \u201cIt might be a good idea to bolt the door, \u201c Joy suggested.<\/p>\n Reluctantly Joe bolted the door as she had said and then stood there, feeling awkward, twisting his hat round and round between his fingers.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry I kinda butted in just then, Miss Joy. I think it might be a good idea if I left now, though. I don\u2019t want Charley to get the wrong idea.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe wrong idea?\u201d she looked puzzled, and shook her head, \u201cWhat kind of wrong idea? I don\u2019t know what you could be implying, Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s just that it isn\u2019t really – I mean – the bolted door and all. You know your Pa has a mighty quick temper when he\u2019s upset about something.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, nonsense.\u201d Joy dismissed her father\u2019s temper tantrums with a shake of her really lovely little head. \u201cSit down and tell me all about yourself?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe swallowed hard. She was lovely there was no doubt about that with a beautiful tumble of copper gold hair and the bluest eyes. He looked around him, and then back at her,<\/p>\n \u201cI really should be going, Miss Joy. My brother will be wondering where I\u2019ve got to and we have a lot to do.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCan\u2019t it wait, Joe? I have a brother too, you know, and -.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh yes,\u201d Joe nodded, \u201cI know all about your brother. That\u2019s why I think I really ought to be going now. It\u2019s been a pleasure meeting you, Miss Joy. No doubt I\u2019ll see you in town from time to time.\u201d he smiled quickly, and then turned and pulled back the bolt.<\/p>\n Some order was being restored now and thankfully there was no sign of Charley or Joy\u2019s brother. With some relief Joe slipped back into the saloon, and resumed his place at the counter. Hoss was looking around and when he saw his brother standing inches from him gave Joe an odd look,<\/p>\n \u201cWhar did you sprung from?\u201d he demanded.<\/p>\n Joe shrugged and said nothing. Hoss shook his head and looked around him,<\/p>\n \u201cJoe, seems to me that I can\u2019t leave you anyplace on your own, without you finding trouble somehow.\u201d he gave Joe another odd look, \u201cAre you okay?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure, I\u2019m fine.\u201d Joe replied, \u201cLet\u2019s get outa here, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss shrugged, it made little difference if he stayed or went, it was obvious he wasn\u2019t going to get drink from Charley who was too busy trying to set up tables and chairs. But copper hair, blue eyes and a pretty face \u2026 Joe sighed and allowed himself the pleasure of building castles in the air.<\/p>\n Chapter 51<\/p>\n Marie fussed when they got home. The rain had grown heavier churning the once dry soil into a quagmire of mud.<\/p>\n \u201cMa, quit fussin\u2019, it\u2019s just a drop of rain,\u201d Joe said, \u201cA few more in Hoss\u2019 case, though\u201d and he laughed, happy because despite the rain, he had met a lovely girl.<\/p>\n \u201cHop Sings bringing up the rear with the stock,\u201d Hoss looked over at Marie and Adam, and then produced a wad of letters from his jacket pocket before ambling over to the window. There was something satisfying about standing at a window watching rain splattering against the glass. Better than riding in it.<\/p>\n Adam began to check out the letters, there were several for Marie, several for himself, one for Joe, a Sears catalogue for Hoss, and mail for some of the men who were still at the Ponderosa. He set them aside to distribute when Hop Sing provided them with their meal for the day.<\/p>\n Marie held her letters in her hand and checked the writing on the envelopes. Would it be in this one, she thought, or that one? This is a delicate hand, a woman must have written it, perhaps she would know about Clay. This is a heavy hand, a man\u2019s hand writing, it would be more than likely that a man would know where Clay was now, surely?<\/p>\n Hoss settled down in the big chair, crossed one leg over the other and began to look through the catalogue. That would be Hoss happy for at least at hour. Joe opened his letter and inwardly groaned, he owed more money than he had thought on the account he had with a clothes store \u2026 gentlemen outfitters \u2026 in \u2018Frisco.<\/p>\n \u201cAny good news?\u201d he asked, and perched himself on the corner of the small table, picked up an apple and polished it on his jacket, \u201cAdam?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam smiled and crooked one eyebrow, then looked over at Marie,<\/p>\n \u201cAny news, Ma?\u201d he asked, and smiled at her encouragingly.<\/p>\n She had decided to open the first letter, the one with the feminine handwriting, and after scanning it quickly she shook her head,<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s from Esme Watson, a friend I had in Baton Rouge. She just says she had heard that Madame de Marigney had died several years ago. She had met Clayton, several times, over the years but some time before Madame\u2019s death there was a big quarrel and he left them, left New Orleans. No one has seen or heard from him since.\u201d and she sighed heavily and let her hand drop, the letter still between her fingers.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, at least it was good news mostly,\u201d Joe said optimistically, \u201cThe old woman\u2019s dead, and he had the sense to leave there before she died. So you know that he grew to manhood at least.\u201d<\/p>\n She smiled at him, Joe was good at raising her spirits and she conceded that yes, it had been good news from that point of view. Now she opened the other letter and quickly read through it, a small furrow creased her brow,<\/p>\n \u201cThis is from Mr Sean Haslam, who worked as Madame\u2019s attorney for some years. He writes to say that my husband\u2019s parents were now both dead. Their estate and possessions has passed to Jean\u2019s cousin, Henry, as next of kin due to the grandson being estranged for some years from the family. He has never returned to New Orleans, having left four years ago. He also says that no one appears to have seen or heard from him since his departure, which was not harmonious. Pompous old windbag.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTut,tut,\u201d Adam said and shook his head at her, although he smiled and his eyes were twinkling.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, says here I could get a new hand stitched saddle with a $4 discount.\u201d Hoss exclaimed and then he wet his thumb and turned over another page.<\/p>\n Marie remained seated,, looking down at her letters. She had to admit that they did at least bear some positive news, that four years ago Clay was well, alive, and separated from the de Marigny influence. But the question remained, where was he?<\/p>\n \u201cI can see you are really eager to know what I have here,\u201d Adam said in a deep drawl, and he waved his letter for them to pay attention.<\/p>\n Joe broke free from his reverie of the pretty girl he had just met, and Hoss looked from the catalogue with the \u2018this had better be important\u2019 look on his face, while Marie turned to him with a hopeful expression in her eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s from Judge Warden, an old friend of Pa\u2019s in New Orleans. He says much the same about the de Marigney\u2019s, both being dead now and that Clayton Stafford de Marigney was now estranged from them. He had felt so strongly about whatever the argument was about, that he changed his name to Clay Stafford. Four years ago he left New Orleans. He was last know to be travelling to Texas.\u201d he pursed his lips thoughtfully, \u201cThat was about 8 months ago.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEight months ago?\u201d Marie breathed, and clasped her hands together in delight. Adam watched her thoughtfully, and smiled, happy at seeing her happy, but wondering, anxiously, just how this was all going to turn out.<\/p>\n Joe felt his stomach lurch over and tighten into a knot in his gut. Suddenly the reality of what this was about had hit him with the force of a hammer. Somewhere he had another brother, someone with the exactly the same claims on him, by blood, as Adam and Hoss. He looked from one to the other and wondered if they realised the importance of this to him, to them.<\/p>\n \u201cTexas?\u201d he breathed and got to his feet as though in a dream. \u201cDo you realise something?\u201d he drew in his breath and looked at Marie, \u201cI have a brother in Texas. Ma? I think I should go, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHey, hold on there, buddy.\u201d Adam said slowly, reaching out a hand as though to steady the boy and slow him down, \u201cTexas isn\u2019t exactly a hop, skip and jump from here, you know? It\u2019s a big state, and you\u2019re not going to know his exact location, you don\u2019t even know what he looks like, or what he has been doing. Before you go haring off making wild ideas, you need to consider the matter more carefully.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s alright for you to say, Adam, he\u2019s not your brother.\u201dJoe replied sharply.<\/p>\n There was a sudden silence, one of those which is referred to in books as profound. Adam shrugged and Hoss scowled, Marie put a hand on her son\u2019s arm,<\/p>\n \u201cJoe, Adam is right, you need to slow down and think this whole thing out sensibly.\u201d she smiled at him reassuringly, and then turned to Adam, \u201cI\u2019ll make us all a cup of coffee, and then we shall talk this over, all of us, and discuss what to do.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam frowned slightly, and looked at his youngest brother. He saw the excited look in Joe\u2019s eyes, and the patches of colour in his cheeks. This was one boy who was not going to take No for an answer very easily. While Marie made the coffee each one of the brothers settled down with their own thoughts. Hoss had abandoned the catalogue, and sat, leaning forwards with his elbows on his knees and his chin resting in the cup of his clasped hands. Joe paced the floor, went to a desk and pulled out maps, maps that were out of date all ready because the territory was changing rapidly along with America\u2019s history. He unrolled them, finding one of Texas which he smoothed out and pegged down with various objects. No, he was not going to accept any negative comments about whether or not he was going to Texas. His mind was made up, and Joseph Cartwright usually got what he wanted when he was that determined.<\/p>\n Chapter 53 \u201cThat\u2019s not the point at all, Joe. The situation is not one we can just rashly jump into, we can\u2019t just saddle up and ride off to where ever you think is best because \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause?\u201d Joe stood up, his mouth tight, and eyes blazing.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause it\u2019s winter coming on, and a lot more things to consider besides.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSuch as?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSuch as we don\u2019t know Clay. We don\u2019t know what he likes, what kind of work he would be undertaking. He could be keen on engineering, for example, and go to the towns where the railroads are setting up and get work with them. He could be interested in farming, or ranching, or \u2026 or anything. We haven\u2019t really got a handle on the guy , so it makes it harder to get into his mind and work out for what part of Texas he would be heading. Also it was eight months ago, take into account Judge Wardens letter took some time getting here, add it together and you may have about a year. Clay could be well gone by now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re saying it\u2019s a useless exercise, then?\u201d it was Marie this time, and she looked at her boys and sighed, and shook her head, \u201cYou\u2019re right. Joe, Adam\u2019s right. Let\u2019s just put the maps to one side and leave things as they are.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe scowled, and looked at his mother fondly, then he looked up and saw the look of satisfaction that Adam had allowed to show on his face. Momentary perhaps, but sufficient long enough for Joe to spot it.<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t want Clay here, do you?\u201d he said sullenly, and tossed the pen down on the desk, \u201cWell, I\u2019ll tell you something, Adam Cartwright, if Pa were here he\u2019d give Clay a fair chance, and welcome him into the family too.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam bit his lip, and shook his head, he looked from Marie to Joe to Hoss, and sighed,<\/p>\n \u201cLook, Joe, if Clay were here we would all welcome him into the family, if that was what he wanted. You know that, surely?\u201d he looked at Joe in appeal, but Joe did not look up, and so Adam just shook his head again and shrugged, \u201cClay could be anywhere. Anywhere at all. I\u2019ll write to Judge Warden again. Better still, I\u2019ll send him a cable and ask if he has heard anything more recent.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think that\u2019s a good idea, Adam,\u201d Marie said in the tones of a mother who has had enough of the squabbling between her children and will say anything to keep things peaceable, \u201cThen we may find out more exactly where he is now.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe looked at Hoss, who had remained reasonably quiet throughout the discussion, he raised dark eyebrows<\/p>\n \u201cWell, Hoss, what have you to say for yourself? Any suggestions? Any ideas?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I reckon what Adam said to be pretty sensible. I – huh – I think if Clay wanted to get to know us he would be here by now after all, 4 years is a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe may not know we exist.\u201d Joe said immediately, assuming that his new half brother would have exhibited the same amount of enthusiasm to find them as he himself felt about finding him.<\/p>\n \u201cHe may know, and not want to bother.\u201d Aam said quietly, getting to his feet and reaching for the stick he still needed to lean upon to get about, \u201cAfter all, we don\u2019t know what lies he\u2019s been told about what happened to him at his birth.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou always have to do it, don\u2019t you?\u201d Joe snapped, his temper now frayed beyond the limits he set himself, \u201cYou always have to chip in with something negative in a situation.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI do not, Joe.\u201d Adam\u2019s black brows beetled across his brow, and his brown eyes showed the light of frustration and anger close to the limits HE set himself, \u201cI just prefer to look at things more logically, especially in cases like this.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIn cases like this? What does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam looked at his youngest brother and shook his head. He knew another word and he would no doubt lose his temper. Were that to happen there would be a full scale argument between them and Marie would be the one to have been caused the extra distress. He looked at her now, and she, recognising the plea, stepped in \u201cMomma, this subject happens to be about your son,\u201d Joe said very quietly, \u201cAnd I don\u2019t want to stop discussing it until the matter\u2019s resolved.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt already has been,\u201d Adam walked away from the desk, leaning heavily on his stick, \u201cIt\u2019s just that you\u2019re too pig headed to realise it.\u201d<\/p>\n It was the worse thing to do and say to Joe, for he was at Adam\u2019s side before Adam had had time to reach the table,<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not a case of being pig headed and you know it, Adam.\u201d his voice was raised to shouting level, \u201cit\u2019s a case of my brother coming home.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf your brother wants to come home, Little Joe, he\u2019ll get here.\u201d Adam pushed his brother\u2019s hand from his arm, gently but firmly, \u201cNow, leave it be. We can\u2019t do more than we can at this time. I\u2019ll send the cable to Warden tomorrow morning.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJoseph,\u201d Marie said, slipping her arm through her sons, \u201cCalm down, and come and have your supper. Please.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe took a long, quivering breath, and without a word walked with her to the table. All the excitement and thrill of the adventure had gone out of him. He felt dejected and miserable, all thanks to his brother, Adam.<\/p>\n Chapter 53 The rain continued to last at the windows, and splatters of wet black soot came down the chimney and speckled the hearth. Marie pulled across the blinds to cut out the draughts and the sounds of the storm, and looked at the three of them.<\/p>\n Adam was making a pretence of reading, but she could see he had not turned over a single page, and every so often his eyes would turn to his youngest brother. Yes, she thought, you are worried now about Joe, you want to get inside his head and turn everything round to make things right for him as well as yourself. Unfortunately, the problem is in his heart. He feels the yearning and the curiosity of the lost brother he never knew he had until recently. Oh Adam, you would have to go far back into the past to never have had this happen.<\/p>\n She looked next at Hoss, who had put aside his catalogue and was just sitting with his arms folded, his eyes half closed, looking into the flames of the fire. What, Marie wondered, are you thinking about, dear Hoss. You are as open as a book, but at times you know how to conceal yourself deep down, even from me. Dear Hoss, are you already feeling as though you are caught up in a very difficult tug of war and wondering how to get out of it? Poor Joe. He was still so young and with so much growing up still ahead of him. Marie sighed and stood up,<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m tired, so if you\u2019ll excuse me\u2026\u201d she looked at them all in turn, and received a smile from each of them.<\/p>\n \u201cGood night, Ma, sleep well.\u201d Adam said, with his customary smile and his dark eyes reassuring and yet, somehow distracted.<\/p>\n \u201cG\u2019night, mom,\u201d Hoss smiled and got to his feet, put his arm about her and gave her his habitual good night kiss.<\/p>\n \u201cGoodnight, Ma,\u201d Joe said softly, and looked at her, his hazel eyes wide in appeal. Oh, if only Ma could turn back the clock and we had all never heard of Clay Stafford, he thought. \u201cSee you in the morning, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n She nodded, smiled, and mounted the stairs. When the door closed behind her with a soft click, the three men sat in an uncomfortable silence for some minutes. Hoss wriggled about a little, as though the chair had become suddenly very hard and causing him some grief, he glanced at them both, one at a time, and cleared his throat,<\/p>\n \u201cAnyone for a game of checkers?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, thanks, Hoss.\u201d Adam muttered, and looked over at Joe who shook his head and likewise declined to play. Hoss sighed deeply and rubbed his hands together,<\/p>\n \u201cThat storm sure could be causing some grief out thar. Reckon there\u2019ll be some flash floods. Hope the bridge over Mullers Creek don\u2019t bust like it did last year.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI doubt it will,\u201d Joe muttered, applying more elbow grease into the task of cleaning the pistol.<\/p>\n \u201cJoe?\u201d Adam put the book down on the table, \u201cI\u2019m sorry I called you pig headed earlier. That wasn\u2019t fair of me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, well\u2026\u201d Joe shrugged. Having now got what he wanted, an apology from his brother, he was wishing that he had been the first to make the peaceable move. He frowned, \u201cI don\u2019t think you understand how I feel though, Adam. I know everything you said was logical and right, I ain\u2019t stupid. It\u2019s just that, well, time moves so slowly and I want to find him. Wouldn\u2019t you be curious as to what your brother was like if you heard that there was one out there somewhere?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course I would, but after all this time not knowing he existed, Joe, being patient just a while longer, won\u2019t make much difference to him, or us, will it?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe looked at Adam\u2019s earnest face, the depth of caring in the dark eyes. For years Adam had been Joe\u2019s \u2018other\u2019 Pa, shielding him from harm, protecting him wherever and whenever he could, commending and praising him for the good he did, and teaching him all that he could. Now it seemed there was a kind of, well, Joe wondered, perhaps it was lack of confidence? He shook his head, no, surely Adam would never suffer from that.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, well, thanks anyway,\u201d Joe replied gruffly and put the pistol and workings away. He stood up, \u201cI\u2019m going to turn in. If this weather carries on this bad, there\u2019ll be a lot to do tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure, good night then, Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGoodnight, Adam, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n They watched him disappear into the shadows of the landing and looked at one another. Hoss shook his head glumly,<\/p>\n \u201cThings could change around here.\u201d he muttered.<\/p>\n \u201cMmm, perhaps they already have,\u201d Adam sighed.<\/p>\n \u201cHow\u2019d you mean?\u201d Hoss\u2019 brow furrowed and he looked at his brother anxiously.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know, I can\u2019t explain it. It\u2019s just a feeling I have.\u201d Adam leaned back and picked up his book.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026<\/p>\n Joe pushed open his mother\u2019s door and peeked inside. He smiled at seeing her sitting in the chair, reading a book by the lamplight close to her bed.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t think you\u2019d be asleep.\u201d he said, his smile broadening as he drew nearer and sat down on the side of the bed.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t want to stay downstairs with you all angry with one another.\u201d she replied, \u201cSometimes it\u2019s hard to know what to say when three grown men are acting like children. When you were little I could give you a good spanking, all of you, even Hoss.\u201d she smiled and leaned forward a little to ruffle his hair.<\/p>\n \u201cMa, can I ask you something?\u201d Joe looked at her earnestly, his hazel eyes deep and dark in the shadows of the evening.<\/p>\n \u201cOf course, Joe, anything.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat was he like? Clay, I mean.\u201d<\/p>\n She looked at him, surprised, and then shook her head and turned away, looked in another direction and tried to recapture the little face with the dark hair and blue eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cJoe, you have to remember he was only a newborn baby, a few weeks old. He looked \u2026 well, like most newborns I suppose. Lots of dark hair, smokey blue eyes. I thought when you were born how like Clay you were, so perhaps, now that he is a man, he would resemble you a little.\u201d she smiled softly, and looked at him, as he stared so pensively into her face, \u201cOf course, Ben thought you looked like Adam, when he was born, so I suppose we only see what we want to see in our little ones. Perhaps to be honest, he was just a tiny red faced scrunched up little baby.\u201d and she continued to smile, although her eyes had turned inwards to where she could see once again the joy on Jean\u2019s face as he held his son in his arms.<\/p>\n \u201cWould you be happy if he came home, I mean, here, to the Ponderosa?\u201d he put out a tentative hand to rest lightly upon hers, and, as he had expected, her free hand came to caress his own.<\/p>\n \u201cOf course I would be happy, Joe. But Adam\u2019s right. We now nothing of him at all. What if he were wanted by the law, for example? What if he were a liar or a cheat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut he\u2019d still be your son.\u201d he reminded her gently.<\/p>\n \u201cYes. But, Joe, you have to remember, he is also a stranger.\u201d<\/p>\n He lowered his eyes and said nothing. Then he smiled and released her hand, stood up and leaned over, and kissed her cheek.<\/p>\n \u201cGoodnight, momma.\u201d he whispered.<\/p>\n She smiled at him, and nodded \u201cGoodnight, my son.\u201d she replied.<\/p>\n Chapter 54<\/p>\n Chapter 41 The young man mumbled something beneath his breath and then, with a struggle, opened his eyes. He blinked rapidly, then realised that Marie was standing over him, a candle flickering in its holder, and her face a strange pallor despite the shadows cast by the flame.<\/p>\n \u201cMa? Are you alright?\u201d he mumbled, trying to get his tongue to function. For some reason it felt as though a dog had slept in his mouth.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s Joe. He\u2019s gone.\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n \u201cGone! What do you mean – gone? Gone where?\u201d he sat up then, throwing off the covers in alarm. Then he grew even more alarmed at the sight of her standing before him fully clothed. \u201cYou\u2019re dressed?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo is Hoss.\u201d she whispered, her eyes looking strangely myopic in the flickering light, \u201cI woke up about an hour ago, and went to see if Joe was alright,\u201d she paused as a crash of thunder rumbled across the rooftop, \u201cbut his bed had not been slept in. Food is missing from the larder. I got Hoss to help look for him, while I dressed.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy didn\u2019t you get me up sooner, Ma? I didn\u2019t even hear you,\u201d Adam\u2019s voice trailed away, and he shook his head, \u201cI didn\u2019t even hear Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNone of us did. I think he thought the noise of the storm would cover any sound he made. Hoss checked the stables, and Cochise’s stall is empty Adam, I think he\u2019s gone looking for Clay.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI can guarantee you that he\u2019s gone looking for Clay. That fool kid -.\u201d Adam shook his head, and then looked at her again, \u201cYou should have woken me. I can\u2019t understand why I didn\u2019t hear all this going on.\u201d<\/p>\n She shook her head and smiled gently, placing a hand upon his shoulder she sighed, \u201cYou\u2019ve been ill, Adam. You have to be patient with yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not ill now, Ma.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, of course not.\u201d she replied, and stepped back to give him room to manuovre himself out of bed and reach for his clothes, \u201cBut, Adam, think about it \u2026 you used to be such a light sleeper no one could pass your door without disturbing you. Now you sleep so heavily nothing disturbs you. Don\u2019t you realise that you have been trying to prove to us all how well you are that you are exhausted?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not,\u201d he replied angrily, and pulled on his pants hurriedly, \u201cThings have to be done; pass me my shirt, will you, Ma?\u201d<\/p>\n He pulled on the shirt, buttoning it quickly, fumbling as his fingers proved to be thumbs in his attempt to prove himself as able as anyone else there. He bit his lip, chewed on it, angry with himself, with Joe, and with David Carter for letting Marie\u2019s secret spill out into their ordered family life. He paused when her hand once again touched his arm,<\/p>\n \u201cAdam, why not stay here? Hoss and I can go and look for him. He can\u2019t have got too far in this weather.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI am not an invalid, Ma, and don\u2019t patronise me.\u201d he snapped angrily.<\/p>\n \u201cI wasn\u2019t,\u201d she replied with a sigh, \u201cIt just makes sense for someone to stay here, in case he circles back, and we miss him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIn which case it would be a good idea for his mother to be the one waiting at home for him,\u201d Adam retorted, pulling on his boots and feeling frustration well up over him.\u201cWhere\u2019s Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIn the stables, saddling my horse.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReally? I\u2019m surprised you even bothered to get me up,\u201d Adam scowled, and stood up, fully dressed and ready to go.<\/p>\n Marie bit back the retort that came too quickly to her lips. She just shook her head, and held out the walking stick. When he pushed her hand aside, she was not surprised. Adam was a man with a lot of pride, and she realised from the set look on his face now that she had just bruised it deeply.<\/p>\n She walked ahead of him, knowing that were she to walk behind him, and have to wait for him to limp along the landing and down the stairs would only add to his frustrations, to his feeling so obviously an invalid. Doc Martin had been pleased with Adam\u2019s progress but it was slower than Adam wanted it to be and this whole situation now emphasised just how frustrated he was about it.<\/p>\n He pulled his yellow coat from the hook and shrugged himself into it, then buckled on his gunbelt. Without a word to Marie he left the house, stood on the porch, steadied himself, and walked, remarkably straight backed, to the house.<\/p>\n The rain sluiced down. Lightning flashed across the sky illuminating the yard in amazing pyrotechnics of colour. Thunder rolled and crashed as though in a continuous angry growl. But he walked on as though oblivious to it all.<\/p>\n \u2018It\u2019s my fault. Joe, you stupid, crazy kid. I should have tried to understand how you felt more, instead of sounding off at you. Joe, you idiot. You could get yourself killed going off on a night like this. What are you thinking of, Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n Marie had pulled on a slicker over her clothing and was now walking in long strides across the mud strewn yard. Her mind was tormented with anxiety for Joe, worry for Adam. Why couldn\u2019t he see that whatever she did was for his good, because she loved him, because he was Ben\u2019s son, and in many ways, so like his father. She said nothing as she stepped into the stables, and saw Hoss, exchanged glances, and nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cYou alright, Adam?\u201d Hoss asked, looking at his brother with concerned eyes. \u201cAre you sure that -.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sure,\u201d Adam replied, and strode over to Sport\u2019s stall and began to turn the horse about to get him saddled.<\/p>\n \u201cHere, I\u2019ll give you a hand.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t need you to give me a hand, Hoss. I know how to saddle my own horse by now.\u201d Adam snapped.<\/p>\n Hoss said nothing, but walked over to Chubb, pulled on a slicker and waited patiently for Adam to mount up. He watched his brother carefully, knowing that the brusque manner in which Adam had spoken to him was not due to any lack of respect for him, but because he was afraid for Joe, worried about his own abilities perhaps, and even feeling responsible. Hoss nodded, yep, Adam would be feeling responsible all right. He\u2019d been feeling that way ever since Inger had died and he had taken on the care of his baby brother. So? Why change the habit of a life time?<\/p>\n Together the three of them rode out of the yard. The mud splattered around their horses\u2019 hooves and kicked up the soil in the yard. The lightning played a ballet in the sky but they ignored it. They just wanted to find Joe, their Joe, and make sure he came home safely.<\/p>\n Chapter 53<\/p>\n Alright, so it was stupid. Irresponsible. Call it what you like, and Joe called it all manner of things under his breath as he urged Cochise to ride as fast as he could through the storm. Bent low over his horses neck, whispering encouraging words, constantly willing it to go faster, Joe could only hope that the storm would abate sooner rather than later.<\/p>\n It had been a good idea at the time. Like many, oh so many, of Joe\u2019s pranks in his life, they had always seemed good ideas at the time. Impulsive, impetuous, highly strung by temperament; rash and thoughtless at times due to the manner of youth. Joe was all of these things. He was barely 18 years old and when he got an idea into his head, that seemed so good at the time, it was a dickens of a job to get rid of it.<\/p>\n He had thought the storm would cover any noise that he would have made leaving the ranch house. Not even Hop Sing would have been disturbed. He had anticipated that the storm would end, quickly, once he was under way on his journey. The fact that it did not, but did quite the opposite in that it increased in its intensity, only made him more determined to see the adventure through to the very end.<\/p>\n Ducking to avoid a low lying branch he asked himself why? Then he wondered why he hadn\u2019t asked that of himself earlier, when he was still in bed for instance. Because he loved his mother. That was the main reason. He loved Marie, because he knew that many of the qualities, and faults, that were hers, were also his own. Whereas his father had gone from his life, his mother was still there very much a part of it. Seeing her hurt, or distressed, caused him hurt and distress.<\/p>\n Cochise stumbled on the wet treacle of mud that sucked at his hooves. With a steady, strong hand Joe managed to keep his saddle and by a confident pull on the reins led Cochise out of the problem. They continued onwards.<\/p>\n To be honest, Joe told himself, it was not just Marie. It was himself. He wanted to prove something to himself. That he was a man? Well, he proved that almost every day in one way or another. He could ride a horse into the ground pretty much better than anyone on the ranch. He was not afraid to face a man down in an argument either, whether with fists or a gun. No, it was not that, not really. Perhaps he just wanted to satisfy his curiosity. He chewed on his bottom lip much as his eldest brother would do, and thought over this aspect of reasoning on the situation.<\/p>\n He had another brother. Son of Marie. He would be different from Adam, and Hoss. But in what ways?<\/p>\n Joe grabbed at his hat which was a limp mess around his ears and doing little to protect him from the driving rain. He guided Cochise onto higher land, towards a cabin that could provide them with shelter and warmth for a few hours before he continued with his journey.<\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t even that reason, he told himself. It was really because he wanted to prove a point, and to get what he wanted. That was the crux of it all. He wanted to be able to say, \u2018I\u2019ve found him.\u2019 and then present him to his mother, their mother. He swallowed a lump in his throat at the thought. What a splendid end to the adventure, he thought. It would be perfect, just perfect. His mother would be pleased, Clay would be – well – whatever, Adam and Hoss would be proud of him. Yes, that was it. That was exactly it.<\/p>\n Then the lightning zipped through the air and illuminated the land about him, and for a few seconds he was just a black silhouette against a purpling sky slashed by pure white light.<\/p>\n Cochise reared. Pawed frantically in the air, and his hind legs slithered and slipped in the mud. Joe wrenched at the reins, struggled to keep in the saddle. Lightning seared the sky. He could hear the sound of it, the hissing sound of scolding heat scudding through the wet air. Then he felt himself falling. He put out a hand, felt wet mud, twisted to avoid the obvious, and landed flat on his back. The wind was knocked out of him, and he struggled to keep from passing out. But there was little point, nature had the knack of getting her own way, even with obstinate heroes like Joseph Cartwright.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026<\/p>\n The weather proved itself an ally to them that night as they galloped through the constantly changing light and darkness about them. As though aware of the importance of this ride, the three horses stretched themselves out to the limit, and exercised an uncanny awareness of any fault or danger that could have sent them cascading to the ground.<\/p>\n Not one of the three riders really knew where they were heading. There was no possible chance of getting tracks, they knew that it would have been easier and wiser to have waited, but who was to know how long the storm would last, and what prints would be found then?<\/p>\n \u2018Hopeless, hopeless, it\u2019s all quite hopeless,\u201d Marie lamented, and yet she could not possibly have turned her horse around and returned home. It didn\u2019t matter that Joe was a young man now, to her, he was her little boy, and he was out there, on his own.<\/p>\n \u201cI should have been more careful. If anything happens to him tonight I\u2019ll never forgive myself. Marie will never forgive me. How could I ever explain this to Pa?\u201d Adam admonished himself over and over as he felt the cold rain penetrate his clothes and the pain in his back reminded himself that he was a fool to have ventured out. But he could not possibly turn his horse around and return home. Whatever happened, he had to find Joe.<\/p>\n \u201cDrat the kid,\u201d Hoss groaned, \u201cWhere\u2019s the sense in all this! I swear he has no more brains than those he was born with, and I\u2019ll tan the hide off\u2019n him when I get my hands on him.\u201d He shivered as the cold seeped into his bones. But he would not dream of turning his horse around and returning home. If anyone was going to find the boy, it would be him.<\/p>\n Sheet lightning blistered the air about them, and their horses paused in mid-stride, startled, afraid. In that split second of indecision on their part, Hoss saw a familiar shape riding towards them.<\/p>\n \u201cOver there,\u201d he yelled and turned Chubb\u2019s head towards Cochise, catching at the flailing reins as the horse went to speed on by him.<\/p>\n It took less than ten minutes more to find Joe. He was flat on his back, his arms flung out on either side of him and the rain streaming down upon his. All three of them slid from their saddles and slithered through the mud to reach his side. Adam ran his hands over the boys body to assure himself that there were no broken bones. Hoss raised Joe\u2019s head out of the mud. Marie took hold of one of his hands and rubbed it as though by doing so she would impart life back into it (that is, if it had departed from him, which it had not).<\/p>\n Joe shivered, and blinked open his eyes. He looked from one anxious face to the other, and sighed. So, after all that, this was going to be the end of the adventure. Just how humiliating could it be?<\/p>\n \u201cHi, Ma,\u201d he croaked, as the rain poured down his face, streamed into his eyes. He looked at his brothers, and then looked back at his mother,\u201dGuess you\u2019re mad at me, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMad at you?\u201d Marie said in the tone of voice that boded ill for her off spring when they returned home, \u201cJoseph, this is the most stupid stupid thing I have ever known you do in all your life. How could you? How could you be so thoughtless, so stupid!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMa, I know how it looks,\u201d Joe tried to struggle to his feet, slipped on the mud, and fell back onto his rear, \u201cBut I left you a note to explain.\u201d<\/p>\n Marie looked at Adam who shrugged, then at Hoss who shook his head,<\/p>\n \u201cGet up,\u201d she hissed, \u201cGet up this instance and get back home. Go on. Get up.\u201d and to help him on his way she gave him a resounding slap, \u201cHow dare you do this to me, Joe, How dare you.\u201d<\/p>\n Thunder rumbled further in the distance. The storm was moving away at last. Joe sighed, searched for his hat, which was a limp mess in a puddle, and picked it up. It seemed to him that he was about to face an even worst storm when he reached home.<\/p>\n They made their way back up the slope to where the horses stood, patiently waiting for them all. Marie gave her son a blazingly hot glare as she mounted and sat in the accumulation of water in the saddle, her lips thinned, but before she could say a word Joe gave her one of his smiles, his eyebrows twitched,<\/p>\n \u201cMa, did Pa ever tell you that you\u2019re beautiful when you\u2019re angry?\u201d he said as he mounted into the saddle and headed back towards home.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 56 Those that knew him greeted him with a wave of a hand, tilt of the hat, or a cheery \u2018Howdy\u2019 or \u2018Morning\u2019. As he rode towards the telegraph depot Adam smiled to himself. If Pa could just see the place now, he mused, he would be so pleased with himself, after all, he had settled on the Ponderosa knowing that the territory would open up, and it had indeed done just so.<\/p>\n He sat in the saddle a moment to ease the pain in his back , and then slowly dismounted. He was grateful that he could lean against the counter to write out the message on the form Eddy pushed over to him. After checking it through carefully, Eddy nodded,<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll send this right away, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam listened to the message being tapped across the wires and thoughtfully wondered if there would ever be a day when people would actually be able to speak to others thousands of miles away. What, he pondered, would it need to enable such a thing to happen? Realising that there was little point in waiting for a reply, which could possibly never come anyway, he paid for the message and left the building.<\/p>\n He was tiring quickly, far more quickly that he had anticipated. The ride in the storm the previous night had obviously had a very negative effect on his body, and he knew that coming in this morning would have compounded the problems. But what, he thought, could one do when Joe was so determined to find his brother that he would risk life and limb during a storm to find him? Adam had made a promise to send that telegram, and so the promise had to be fulfilled.<\/p>\n He slipped into Roy\u2019s office and found the sheriff about to have some coffee. A look of delight came over Roy\u2019s face when he saw Adam, and he promptly pulled out another mug which he filled with the thick brown liquid. It smelt good, but Adam knew from experience that it would taste foul. One taste proved him to be correct.<\/p>\n But it was good to be able to sit down and rest for a while. He listened to Roy talking about various problems in town that had to be dealt with, and answered the questions that had to answered. He cradled the mug in his hands as though every moment doing so was precious. A deputy came in and put down a large brown envelope and some others on Roy\u2019s desk.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t mind me, Roy, go ahead and open your mail.\u201d Adam said, feeling rather heavy eyed from lack of sleep.<\/p>\n Roy grinned, and ripped open the envelopes. He put on his spectacles and began to read the letters in a low mumble. One was thrown into the trash bin, the other was handed over to the deputy to be filed under the relevant name. The large brown envelope was full of freshly printed Wanted posters. Two posters per man. To be strategically placed where the public could see them, and thereby protected. Roy sighed and flicked through some of them, before putting them to one side.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, Adam, as I was saying -\u201d he paused as the door opened and Erick Higgins appeared, his hat in his hand and blood streaming down his face from a large gash in his head, \u201cWhat happened to you, Higgins?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFight over at the Sazarac, Roy. You\u2019d better come and get it sorted before they kill one another.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cComin\u2018, Adam?\u201d Roy asked, getting to his feet and slipping the spectacles into his shirt pocket.<\/p>\n \u201cIn a moment, Roy. I\u2019m sure you can deal with it.\u201d Adam smiled at the sheriff as sincerely as possible, knowing that Roy would be instantly suspicious and conjecture to himself that Adam Cartwright had either gone soft or was ill. Adam wasn\u2019t actually too sure which category he fell into just at that moment, he felt too tired to really care.<\/p>\n He looked at the posters thoughtfully. It wouldn\u2019t hurt to while away the hour just to look through them. He might even recognise someone! He smiled to himself and pulled the sheaf of posters towards him. Faces of all shapes and sizes passed under his eyes. Some with odd names like Black Eyed Jack. Two women with prices on their heads, one of them wanted for murder. Then there was the one that made him spill his coffee, the one that bore the name \u2019CLAYTON DE MARIGNEY Adam stared at the picture of the man, badly sketched and looking oddly out of proportion, who was, could possibly be, the half brother of Joe. Could such co-incidences happen? Was it possible that he had come across this poster with the details that would be so useful to them. And to be wanted for murder? He looked through the particulars given and then,, looking quickly up at the clock and knowing that Roy would soon be back, he folded both posters in half and slipped them into his coat pocket.<\/p>\n He left the office almost immediately after that and walked to his horse. He was about to mount into the saddle when he heard a familiar voice,<\/p>\n \u201cHi, Adam, did you get the cable posted?\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss stood on the sidewalk with his pleasant face wearing a wide smile, and if he looked concerned for his brother, he did not show it. He approached Adam quickly,<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s been a fight at the Sazarac, so how about a pint at the Bucket of Blood?\u201d Hoss suggested.<\/p>\n \u201cSure, Hoss, a good idea.\u201d Adam replied and took a deep breath. This meant crossing the street and walking a whole length of the sidewalk, he could feel the sweat breaking out of his pores just at the thought.<\/p>\n He slumped thankfully into the chair while Hoss ordered the drinks and then carried them over to the table.<\/p>\n \u201cHad some errand to do for Ma, \u201c Hoss explained with a twinkle in his eyes. \u201cThought I\u2019d meet up with you here. So you sent the cable off then?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, but -\u201d Adam pulled the posters from his pocket and carefully opened one, \u201cI came across this in Roy\u2019s office.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOdd looking guy, ain\u2019t he?\u201d Hoss muttered, dripping beer from his glass onto the picture.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s only an artists impression, Hoss, they just hope that you\u2019ll meet up with someone who vaguely looks like it. Look at the name, Hoss. Don\u2019t you think it\u2019s something of a co-incidence?\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss looked at the name and read the details, then he shook his head, and leaned back in the chair, his face slightly perplexed.<\/p>\n \u201cThis ain\u2019t good news, Adam. Wanted for murder, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe good news is that he isn\u2019t using that name now, but, as you say, it isn\u2019t good news knowing he\u2019s committed murder.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMa ain\u2019t gonna like it any,\u201d Hoss sighed, \u201cDon\u2019t know about Joe, though. He seems pretty set in getting to find his brother.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s a problem we\u2019ll just have to ride over somehow,\u201d Adam sighed, and he picked up his beer, and swallowed half of the glass\u2019s contents. \u201cWell, at least we know something about him now.\u201d he carefully refolded the poster and slipped it back in his pocket. \u201cTo be warned is to be forarmed.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Hoss agreed but he didn\u2019t seem to sound too sure about it.<\/p>\n Chapter 57<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Eddy caught up with the Cartwright brothers as they were about to mount up and return home. \u00a0Hoss had not told Adam what the errand for Ma had been, and Adam had not asked him. \u00a0They knew each other too well, but a little pretence went a long way in avoiding unnecessary hurt pride. \u00a0Adam accepted the cable and read it through in silence, and then passed it to Hoss.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHey, handsome!\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Both of them turned towards the voice and saw a young woman walking towards them. \u00a0She had a mass of copper gold hair in a froth of curls bouncing upon her shoulders, and her skirts swished about her thighs as she walked. \u00a0Hoss gulped and his eyes bulged a little, until Adam dug him quickly in the ribs.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMa\u2019am!\u201d Adam replied. \u00a0\u201cMiss!\u201d Hoss said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSomeone said you were Little Joe\u2019s brothers.\u201d she smiled at them both, and winked at Hoss who blushed a little but not much, which made her smile even more confident.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cCorrect. \u00a0Adam Cartwright, and Hoss.\u201d Adam indicated Hoss with a jerk of his thumb, and smiled, \u201cAnd you are?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou mean Little Joe never mentioned me? \u00a0Shame on him, after the way he tumbled into my room I would have thought for sure he would have remembered me.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve had a lot going on back home, miss\u201d Hoss said pulling his hat from his head very quickly,and smiling widely.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOur little brother has been very busy. \u00a0I\u2019m sure he hasn\u2019t forgotten you at all, Miss, just \u00a0forgot to mention you to us, that\u2019s all.\u201d Adam purred in a voice like warm creamy chocolate.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, I\u2019m Joy Marsden, Charleys daughter. \u00a0Just remind your little brother that I\u2019m waiting for another visit from him, will you?\u201d and she smiled at them both, young an confident and with that eagerness to grab at life that the very young only possess.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Both of them nodded dumbly and then watched her walk back to the saloon. \u00a0Adam had his head to one side and watched her with a dreamy expression on his face, while Hoss just stared in evident appreciation.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSay,Adam, that is one purty little gal.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMm, she certainly is,\u201d Adam smiled and then with a sigh turned Sports head round and began to ride out of town.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Minutes later they were cantering on the track home. \u00a0 They galloped over the area that had been the recipient of more blood from Adam\u2019s body than had been good for him, and on out into open country. \u00a0Neither of them spoke for some time. It was Hoss who broke the silence,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat shall we tell Ma and Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAbout Clay? \u00a0Oh, I don\u2019t know.\u201d Adam frowned, and glanced at his brother, \u201cWhat do you think?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI think you should have left those posters with Roy and just not looked. \u00a0That way at least we could be riding home with some part of our mind at rest.\u201d Hoss\u2019s brow crinkled in thought, \u00a0\u201cI don\u2019t think Ma\u2019s going to be happy about it, that\u2019s for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJudge Wardens always been really reliable. \u00a0He was a good friend to Pa.\u201d Adam pulled a wry face, \u201cI think we need to be honest enough with Ma to tell her what we know, then she can tell Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThat would be interesting,\u201d Hoss said with a sigh, it was obviously going to be interesting but not amusing. \u00a0Joe was too much like a coiled up spring ready to bounce in any direction bar the one they would most prefer.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, it\u2019s the honest thing to do, and at least she\u2019ll be prepared should Clay ever walk into her life. \u00a0It\u2019s not easy for her, Hoss.\u201d and having said that, Adam pulled down his hat to shade his eyes, and turned up the collar of his coat. The chill of the wind was no longer pleasant. \u00a0Or was it someone walking over his grave?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 58<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The young man bowed his head in respectful, reverent homage to the frail bones that had been laid to rest so many years previously. \u00a0His thoughts, as were his feelings, were deep and numerous. \u00a0His emotions were as taut as a quivering bow string but he remained dry eyed, and straight backed.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It had been kindly of the Chinese gentleman who had answered his knock on the door, to tell him where the grave was to be located. \u00a0It would have been all too easy to have lost one\u2019s way as the Cartwright territory was so vast. \u00a0But the man, Hop Sing, had listened attentively to what he had asked, and then had very carefully described exactly where he could go to find the cairn. \u00a0 It had been made easier due to a faint track through the woodland, and the young man had been surprised and somewhat pleased to find a fresh nosegay of flowers on the gentle mound of grass.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n So this was where his father had been buried. \u00a0Clayton Stafford de Marigney stared down at the soft swelling, the colourful flowers (somewhat battered by the recent rain), \u00a0and thought of the man he had never known. \u00a0 He was always being told about his father by his grand parents, and it had been explained to him that he had been buried in a land far, far away, even at an early age, so that he had spun a romantic fairy tale story around this loss, which somehow, had buffered the hurt.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n About his mother he had been told nothing at all. \u00a0As he grew older and personality traits became more obvious as his character developed his grand-mother would say \u2018That\u2019s just the way of your mother, we\u2019ll have to beat it out of you, Clayton.\u2019 and they did, beat him that is, whether or not it actually changed that particular quirk in his personality he never knew.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It was not surprising therefore that he grew up to think of his father as a romantic cavalier kind of person who, heart broken because of the terrible marriage he had been forced into, had wandered far and wide, and died in a far off place. \u00a0 It was less surprising to realise that he grew up thinking his mother had rejected him, and left him and his father because she was a wayward hussy. \u00a0 As he grew loving one, so he grew hating the other.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n So, now, here he was, standing at his father\u2019s graveside. \u00a0He could not help but wonder who had left the flowers, who could care enough to do that simple act of kindness. \u00a0 He thought too of the Cartwright family who had taken the man in, and befriended him. \u00a0A kindly act to a stranger. \u00a0A generous act to bury him on family land.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He sighed. \u00a0A long drawn out sigh. \u00a0 When he was twelve he was told, after asking too many impertinent questions, that his mother had died. \u00a0Where was she buried he had wanted to know, but the answer had been a shrug of the shoulders and a trotting out of the old adage \u2018Ask no questions, told no lies.\u2019 \u00a0 Considering the number of lies he had grown up with, it was rather a futile clich\u00e9 in that household.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He wanted to go now, but at the same time there was a peacefulness here under the trees, with the sun dappling the ground about them. \u00a0 He felt a restlessness wrestling with a desire for peace. \u00a0And for a few more moments he remained where he was, hat in hand, head bowed, thinking of the man, and woman, whom he had never known \u2026 his parents.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Suddenly he raised his head and walked away, as though in that moment he could not bear to remain there a second longer. \u00a0He replaced his hat upon his head and vaulted lightly into the saddle and galloped back along the faint track to the road that led to the Ponderosa.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It occurred to him as he rode along that, if he wanted to know about his father the best people to ask would be the Cartwrights. \u00a0 If not them, then maybe the Chinese gentleman, after all he had knowledge of the grave, so maybe the knowledge would extend to some specific personal information about the person IN the grave.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He rode along at a goodly pace, and reached that part of the yard belonging to the ranch house that contained the stables and barns. \u00a0He was skirting around them when he saw two men at the hitching rail. \u00a0One was a big man, with a tall hat, on a black horse, whereas the other was slimmer in build, wearing a black hat, yellow coat, riding a chestnut horse. \u00a0As Clayton drew a halt to his horse, in order to watch the two men unobserved himself, the rider in the yellow coat, fell sideways from his horse onto the ground. \u00a0He remained there, unmoving, as the other man dismounted and ran to his side, calling aloud \u201cMa. \u00a0Joe. Ma.\u201d as he ran.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Clay\u2019s first impulse was to ride forward and to do what he could to help, but when the door opened and the Chinese man, a younger man and a woman ran from the house, he pushed the initial impulse down, and retreated, turned the horse around and quickly galloped away. \u00a0Now, he knew, was not the time for strangers to intrude on what was obviously going to be a worrying time for the Cartwright family.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n He had ridden for less than fifteen minutes back towards town when a rider appeared travelling at speed. \u00a0 \u00a0Clay drew aside to allow the rider to pass him by, and then realised it was the big man with the tall hat riding towards him. \u00a0He put out a hand and signalled for him to stop<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cCan I help in any way?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hoss wrinkled his nose, as though the surprise of seeing him there, and nearly running him down, had affected his sense of smell.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m on my way to town to get the doctor for my brother, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThen let me go in your place,\u201d Clay offered, \u201cMy horse is fresher than yours, and you must prefer to be with your brother now if he is that ill.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hoss ran his tongue over his lips, and frowned, glanced over his shoulder as though he would derive inspiration from that quarter if he were to do so,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThank you, stranger. \u00a0I\u2019d sure appreciate it. \u00a0Ask Doctor Martin to come to the Ponderosa right away. \u00a0Adam\u2019s ill.\u201d<\/p>\n Clay nodded, turned his horse back towards town and urged it forwards, while Hoss turned Chubb around and put him at full gallop back to home.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 59<\/p>\n Adam was not too sure what had happened to him once he had ridden into the yard. \u00a0He could remember slipping one foot from the stirrup ready to dismount when the pain he had been controlling all day suddenly seared through his body so that he involuntarily loosened his grip on the reins and his whole body felt clammy, heavy and then he blacked out.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He regained consciousness in his bed with Joe pulling off his pants, and Marie folding over his shirt. \u00a0Everything was a blur and he could see that Joe was talking because the young man\u2019s mouth was moving. \u00a0He wondered for a fleeting moment if he were still wearing his boots. \u00a0He saw Marie turn to look at him, and the look on her face made him want to call out to her that he was alright, but his mouth would not move. \u00a0Rigor mortis, he thought immediately, then he remembered that he was still, as yet, alive.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI think he\u2019s coming round, Ma.\u201d Joe whispered, casting the dark grey striped pants across the chair, \u201cHe opened his eyes.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh Joe, I wish Paul would hurry.\u201d Marie replied, \u201cI – I just don\u2019t understand what could have happened.\u201d she picked up the yellow coat and folded it slowly. \u00a0It was only when she draped it carefully over one arm that she heard the crackling sound of paper and paused to look at the pockets. \u00a0The folded posters protruded teasingly from the pocket and she looked over at Joe, who was busy now pulling the sheet up over his brother; and having ascertained that he was not looking in her direction, she pulled the papers out of the pocket.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe must have been hurting, Ma. \u00a0And it\u2019s my fault. \u00a0Oh I wish I could turn the clock back, but I didn\u2019t expect it to all turn out as it did, honestly.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cShush, Joe.\u201d Marie said, but not because she thought the sound of his voice would disturb Adam, it was because the sound of his voice was booming her head as though coming from a long way away, and she needed to concentrate, to think, and make sense of what she was reading.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat is it, Ma?\u201d Joe said quickly, seeing how pale she looked now, \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She shook her head, pushing the posters into the folds of Adams coat and draping it carefully on the chair. \u00a0She looked at her son and shook her head again, but Joe, realising she was distressed came to her side and looked anxiously into her face,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMa? \u00a0I\u2019m sorry. I wouldn\u2019t have wished this to happen to Adam, you know that, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOf course, Joe. \u00a0Adam would no more listen to me telling him to stay put than I would have done had he insisted I stayed home. \u00a0I just wish \u2026\u201d she paused and sighed, \u201cHe\u2019s been working too hard, Joe, that\u2019s what it is, he\u2019s just very tired.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYeah, and going out chasing around the country in a storm last night really did him a whole lot of good, didn\u2019t it? \u00a0If anything happens to him, Ma, I\u2019ll never forgive myself.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNevers a long time, son.\u201d she whispered and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. \u00a0Both of them turned to look at the sick man in the bed, and she felt the urge to cry when she thought of what he had already suffered, and how hard he had tried not to give in to his injuries, \u201cHe\u2019s just tired, Joe.\u201d she said once again.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI think I hear Hoss. \u00a0He must have met up with Doc.\u201d and turning upon his heels Joe darted out of the room.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n No sooner had Joe closed the door behind him than Marie pulled out the papers from Adams coat and smoothed them out. \u00a0Once again she read through what she had only previously glimpsed partially, and now she felt herself floundering as the room swirled about her. \u00a0She put out a hand and steadied herself by leaning against the bureau, and took several deep breaths. \u00a0She closed her eyes, several more deep breaths, surely, surely she had not read that Clayton was a murderer, surely it meant someone else. \u00a0This was ridiculous, this was too cruel.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She could hear Hoss and Joe talking and their voices were approaching the bedroom. She folded the papers and pushed them into a drawer. \u00a0Then she walked over to the side of the bed and stood, looking down at Adam.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAdam? \u00a0Don\u2019t die, my boy, I need you here, I need you to live.\u201d she cried urgently, but the man in the bed didn\u2019t move.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMa, how is he?\u201d Hoss cried as he hurried into the room, closely followed by Joe. \u201cIs he alright?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know what\u2019s wrong with him, Hoss. \u00a0Where\u2019s Paul? \u00a0Isn\u2019t the doctor with you?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, Ma. \u00a0I met someone on the road who said he would go for the doctor so that I could get back. \u201c<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou what?\u201d Joe cried in horror, \u201cAre you plumb crazy, Hoss? \u00a0How do you know the guy will get the doctor? \u00a0How could \u00a0you trust a total stranger like that.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Hoss said quietly, approaching the bed, and looking down at Adam, \u201cI guess it was because – well, because he didn\u2019t seem like a stranger somehow. \u00a0Anyway, I felt I could trust him.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBut ..\u201d Joe stuttered, his face reddening like a turkey cock<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s enough, Joe. \u00a0I don\u2019t want to discuss it no more.\u201d Hoss said angrily, \u201cI didn\u2019t want to leave Adam in the first place. \u00a0If you\u2019re so dad burned all fired up to get the doc here then go and saddle up your horse and git moving.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJoe, go and ask Hop Sing to make us some coffee.\u201d Marie said quietly, deciding to distract Joe by getting him to do something constructive. \u00a0 She watched him leave the room, sullen and slow footed, but he left and closed the door behind him. She looked at Hoss, \u201cYou know how he is, Hoss? \u00a0He feels guilty about what has happened to Adam, and has to let off steam by being angry. He doesn\u2019t mean it.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSure, Ma, but I was scared about Adam and wanted to get back here.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHoss, do you know anything about these?\u201d \u00a0Marie had walked over to the bureau and now pulled out the posters and showed them to Hoss, \u201cI see that you do. \u00a0Where did you get them?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAdam got them out of Roy\u2019s office. \u00a0They arrived in a batch today. \u00a0 He was going to show them to you when we got home.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Marie nodded, and bowed her head. \u00a0 She read through the headings once again, and the name and then folded the papers carefully.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDid Roy see them?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, Ma, Adam said he was called away before he got to see them.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She nodded and walked back to the bed, and looked down at Adam, \u201cWhy did he do that? Adam I mean? \u00a0He could be accused of perverting the course of justice. Didn\u2019t he realise that?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI dunno what all that means, Ma, but he did it for you, and Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cReally?\u201d she sounded doubtful, unsure about that, and then nodded, \u201cYes, I can see that you\u2019re right. \u00a0And, Hoss, this stranger who has gone to get Dr Martin, what did he look like?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t really look too close, Ma. \u00a0There was too much going on in my head. \u00a0He was tall I guess, and dark haired from what I could see. \u00a0Had a moustache.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWas he \u2026 handsome?\u201d she asked softly, reaching out to stroke back a curl of dark hair that had fallen across Adam\u2019s pallid brow.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cShucks, Ma, as if I\u2019d notice summat like that?\u201d Hoss wrinkled his nose up in dismay, and frowned, \u201cWal, he weren\u2019t plug ugly, I can safely say that.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHoss, just before you came home,\u201d Marie paused and listened, she could hear Joe coming up the stairs, \u201cHop Sing was telling me that there was a young man here. \u00a0He wanted to know the location of Jean\u2019s grave.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJean? \u00a0You mean your first husband\u2019s grave?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes, that\u2019s right. \u00a0A tall, dark haired young man with a moustache wanted to see where Jean had been buried.\u201d she put a hand to her heart to still its thumping, and wiped a tear that was making its way down her cheek, \u201cI think Clay is in Virginia City, Hoss. I think he\u2019s here.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 60<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The labyrinth stretched out ahead of him. It was dark and cold. When he reached out with his hand the side of the walls were wet and slick to the touch like slime. \u00a0He had to walk on, push his way through the mess, the roots of trees that suddenly appeared as though to entangle him, the undergrowth that covered his feet and threatened to trip him up and smother him. \u00a0It seemed as though the walls of the labyrinth were moving inwards, closing in on him. \u00a0He felt sweat dew his brow,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPa?\u201d \u00a0he called out into the darkness, but the only ripple of sound that he heard was his own voice calling back to him \u201cPa?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He had to be here somewhere. \u00a0He had to be otherwise he might as well just sit down and let the walls close in on him and the undergrowth cover him over.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPaul? \u00a0How is he?\u201d Marie stood up as the doctor came slowly down the stairs, his head bowed, and the medicine bag thumping against his legs, \u201cIs he going to be alright?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe and Hoss had risen to their feet, and Paul could feel their eyes boring into him. \u00a0It seemed unfair to have them go through all this again. Unfair and cruel. He shook his head<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll never understand Adam.\u201d he said quietly, \u201cHe has to challenge everyone and for what? \u00a0What is he trying to prove? \u00a0 I told him to rest, that he was a long way from being properly healed, so he gets up and starts to work, pushing himself all the time beyond the limit. \u00a0I can heal the body but the mind -\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAre you saying Adam\u2019s crazy?\u201d Hoss said in disbelief.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, nothing of the kind. \u00a0But the mind is the key to the problem, and I\u2019m afraid in Adam\u2019s case, I don\u2019t know what the key is to solve it. \u00a0 There\u2019s something worrying him, deep down.\u201d \u00a0he paused, and looked at Marie, \u201cApart from that he has damaged his back badly. \u00a0He must have rest, Marie, you must make him do as I tell him.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s easier said than done, \u201c Joe said with a quirk of a smile, \u201cTrying to tell Adam anything is one thing, trying to get him to do what he\u2019s told is something else.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, that little ride in the storm last night certainly didn\u2019t do him any good,\u201d Paul said quietly, casting Joe a stern look, \u201che has a chest infection, that will lower his resistance to fight off the pain in his back. \u00a0The brain fever, it may subside in time, with rest and the medication I\u2019ve left here for him. \u00a0Marie, please keep him as warm as possible, plenty of drinks. \u00a0He\u2019s a very sick young man.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHow sick?\u201d Joe asked, his voice quavering as he looked into Paul\u2019s face and saw the grave look in his eyes, \u201cDoc, how sick? \u00a0As bad as last time do you mean?\u201d \u00a0he looked at Hoss and his mother, \u201cI mean, he got better after that, didn\u2019t he? \u00a0He\u2019ll get better, won\u2019t he, from this?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe got better to a certain extent, Joe. \u00a0But he\u2019s really knocked himself back to the beginning again now. \u00a0It\u2019s going to be a harder fight for him to recover this time.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s my fault, isn\u2019t it?\u201d Joe said softly, \u201cThat stupid idea of mine last night. Oh, Ma, I\u2019m so sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAdam didn\u2019t have to go out in that storm, Joe,\u201d Hoss said in his little brother\u2019s defence, \u201cHe chose to go, just like Ma and I. \u00a0Don\u2019t blame yourself, there ain\u2019t no need.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes,, there is, Hoss. \u00a0Yes, there is.\u201d and Joe turned away in self disgust, slumped down on the settee and buried his face in his hands.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSend for me if you need me, Marie. \u00a0I\u2019ll call by tomorrow morning.\u201d the doctor put his hand on Marie\u2019s shoulder and looked into her face. \u00a0The woman looked tired to the bone, and he wondered how much longer she would be able to endure this situation. \u00a0He had felt sorry for her over the David Carter situation, and during Adam\u2019s illness had grown to admire her once more for her stoicism and patience. \u00a0Now he wondered how much longer she could manage things here.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She walked with him to the door, and as they stood on the porch she managed to say what she had been wondering could, or should, be said,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPaul,, the young man who came to tell you about Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat about him?\u201d Paul asked as he put his bag into the back of the buggy, \u201cHe\u2019s a stranger in town.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes, I gathered that, it\u2019s just that -\u201d she paused, \u201cWhat kind of man was he?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe was young,\u201d Paul replied, his hand on the handrail of the seat, \u201cnice looking and polite.\u201d \u00a0He clambered onto the seat and gathered the reins in his hands, \u201cHe didn\u2019t give me his name, I\u2019m afraid. \u00a0Just delivered the message and urged the importance of getting here as soon as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDid he seem worried about anything at all?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWorried? \u00a0No, not really. \u00a0Concerned, possibly, about finding me and getting the message delivered. \u00a0He looked satisfied when I said I would go right away.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPaul?\u201d she stepped closer to the buggy and put a hand on the doctor\u2019s arm, quite a strange action on her part for she preferred not to have too much physical contact with people, \u201cWould you be so kind, should you see this young man again, to ask him to call by the Ponderosa? \u00a0Tell him that Marie Cartwright would like to speak to him.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMrs Cartwright would like to speak to him? Very well, I\u2019ll tell him that if I see him again.\u201d Paul smiled and then frowned as she shook her head,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, tell him Marie not Mrs, Marie Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Paul frowned, and looked at her anxious face and the wide eyes. \u00a0Hereby hangs a mystery, he mused, but he nodded and smiled, and assured her that he would deliver her message, should he see the mysterious stranger again.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhy do you want to see him, Ma?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Marie jumped, startled at the voice from behind her, and turned to see Joe looking at her rather quizzically. \u00a0She forced a smile and walked towards him, linked her arm through his,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBecause the least I can do is thank him for what he did for us, Joe.\u201d she replied and looked at him thoughtfully, \u201cDon\u2019t punish yourself about what happened last night, Joe. \u00a0It doesn\u2019t help.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt makes me feel better, Ma. \u00a0I can\u2019t believe I could have been so selfish and stupid. \u00a0You were right, I wasn\u2019t thinking sensibly. \u00a0It was true too, I did kinda have this crazy idea that the first place I walked into I\u2019d find him there.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAnd what would you have done if you had, my dear? \u00a0Invite him home for dinner, mm?\u201d she spoke to him teasingly, hoping to bring back some humour to bring him out of the introspective mood he had slipped into, but it didn\u2019t work, Joe merely shook his head and shrugged,.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll go and sit with him, Ma.\u201d he said quietly and slipped his arm free from hers, and made his way to Adam\u2019s room.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The labyrinth seemed to be breathing. \u00a0He could hear the gasps of breath and the walls seemed to be moving in and out with each breath, like gigantic lungs. \u00a0He could barely raise his feet high enough to clear the undergrowth that clutched at his feet. \u00a0He had to press on and get to the end except that he couldn\u2019t find where to turn in order to find the end. \u00a0There were turnings everywhere. \u00a0Left and right and onwards. \u00a0He couldn\u2019t stop moving now. \u00a0He called out again,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPa? \u00a0Where are you?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A hand clutched at his, and held it tightly between their own. \u00a0He struggled to release himself from the grasp, struggled hard.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cLet me go, let me go. \u00a0I have to get to Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The words were whispered hoarsely from a parched throat. \u00a0 Perspiration pooled at his throat, and spiked his hair.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAdam? \u00a0It\u2019s me. \u00a0 Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam stopped running through the labyrinth, and paused a moment. A voice floated through the darkness and echoed\u2026 Joe. Joe. Joe\u2026 it said. He waited to hear more but nothing was said. \u00a0He frowned,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJoe? Is that you?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSure, Adam, it\u2019s me. \u00a0I – I just wanted to say how sorry I am for what happened last night. I was stupid. \u00a0I didn\u2019t think far enough ahead and the consequences of what I\u2019d do. \u00a0Adam, I was about to throw away everything I love, hurt you and Mom and Hoss for someone, a stranger, for nothing. \u00a0I am – I\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Too many words that got jumbled up in Adam\u2019s mind. \u00a0The echoes whirled round and round in his head and made little if any sense at all.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAdam? \u00a0Did you hear me?\u201d Joe whispered, leaning forward, closer to Adam\u2019s face.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIs Pa there?\u201d Adam said softly, barely a breath that brushed across Joe\u2019s face.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, Adam. \u00a0He isn\u2019t here.\u201d Joe replied, taking hold of the cold hands of the sick man and holding them tightly in his own.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In her room Marie smoothed out the poster and stared at the picture of the man sketched there. \u00a0Wanted for murder it said, and with a $500 reward. \u00a0She tried to see if she would have recognised him had he passed her by in the street, but it was amateurishly drawn and bore little resemblance to whatever it was that she had imagined Clayton to look like in her mind. \u00a0The written description seemed more familiar \u2026 6 ft tall, slim build, dark brown hair, hazel or brown eyes. \u00a0Wanted for murder in Texas.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She traced the outline of his face with her finger. \u00a0The baby had grown into a man. \u00a0And the man was close by. \u00a0Her son. \u00a0She closed her eyes and shook her head. \u00a0It was bad timing. \u00a0Another son needed her now. \u00a0If Clay were to ride out of town now he would never ever know that his mother and brother were so close by. \u00a0Well, if that were to happen, then so be it. \u00a0Adam\u2019s life was hanging in the balance and he was her son, because he was one of Ben\u2019s sons, and she loved him for that, and for being the man he was now.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She slowly rolled up the posters and slipped them into a drawer. \u00a0Then she picked up the small picture of Ben that she had by her bedside. \u00a0 She stared at it longingly, as though by doing so she could imbue it with life once again, this man, this wonderful testament to flesh and blood.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh Ben, I need you here so much.\u201d she whispered and kissed the picture longingly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 62<\/p>\n He was running now. \u00a0His feet felt light and the undergrowth had vanished. \u00a0He could see a faint light at the end of the labyrinth and ran towards it. \u00a0 He could feel his heart pounding in his ears and the pain in his back took on tendrils within his body so that every step he took was agony. \u00a0He groaned through clenched teeth, and gripped hold of the hope that once he reached the light the pain would vanish.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n There were whisperings all around him. \u00a0The walls of the labyrinth opened and closed around him like a living sentient being. \u00a0He was faltering now, finding it harder to breathe.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cCome on, son, you\u2019ll be late,\u201d Ben said and extended a hand towards him, with a smile on his face. \u00a0A smile Adam remembered so well and seeing it he felt renewed vigour flow through his veins.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhere\u2019ve you been, Pa?\u201d Adam whispered, and those beside his bed leaned forward to catch the words and looked at one another meaningfully. \u00a0Marie sighed and shook her head, and wiped the young man\u2019s face gently with a cool wet cloth.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been waiting for you, that\u2019s all. \u00a0How did you enjoy college?\u201d Ben replied, walking beside Adam now, who had, gratefully, dropped to a walking pace.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t get to college, Pa.\u201d \u00a0Adam replied, \u201cCan\u2019t you remember how those men came and shot you?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cShot me?\u201d Ben looked surprised and shook his head, \u201cI didn\u2019t realise that had happened. How\u2019s Marie and the boys?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMarie?\u201d \u00a0Adam whispered in reply, and the woman at his bedside thought he had called to her and leaned forward,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat is it, darling?\u201d she asked him gently.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In his delirium Adam could see Ben as clearly as though he were actually walking by his side. \u00a0He could smell him, the familiar smell that he had grown up with as a child, as a youth.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt was my fault,\u201d he whispered, \u201cMy fault. \u00a0I should never have persuaded you to take me out that day. I\u2019m sorry, Pa. I\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat did he say?\u201d Joe asked his mother, his brow furrowed in concern. \u00a0Had he heard right? \u00a0Was Adam admitting to having made a mistake, a costly one, an error in which Ben had died?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHush now, don\u2019t take seriously what a person says in a fever, Joe.\u201d Marie replied, and leaned back in her chair, holding the listless \u00a0hand of the sick young man gently in her own.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n They were reaching the light now and it\u2019s brightness was stunning. \u00a0Involuntarily Adam raised his arm to shield his eyes from the dazzling whiteness of it all.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPa? \u00a0Did you see it?\u201d he cried aloud, \u201cDid you?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n But there was no answer. \u00a0 Nothing. \u00a0He was just floating in the brightest light he had ever known.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you think he meant, Ma?\u201d Joe asked as they sat by Adam\u2019s bedside, listening to the fevered words that came amidst the groans and sighs.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe seems at peace now, doesn\u2019t he?\u201d Marie replied, and leaned closer to Adam, to make sure that she could feel his breath against her cheek. \u00a0She placed a hand upon his heart to check that there was still a heart beat. \u00a0She wiped away a tear from her face and shook her head,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cFor a moment I thought he had – left us,\u201d she tried to stifle a sob, but it still came to her throat. \u00a0She looked at her own son and shook her head, \u201cWhat was it you were saying?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI just wondered what he meant when he said it was his fault. \u00a0It seemed as though he were talking to Pa, didn\u2019t it?\u201d Joe replied, taking hold of his mother\u2019s hand and wishing that she hadn\u2019t to go through all this anxiety all over again, and feeling, deep inside of himself, that it was all his fault.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It was Hoss who answered. \u00a0He stood up from the chair on the other side of the bed and walked over to the window and stared out at the mountains.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt was the day Pa died,\u201d he said quietly, \u201cI overheard them talking, just bits and pieces you understand? \u00a0 \u00a0Adam wanted to go and see a herd of horses to the north, but Pa said not that day because he wanted to do the ledgers. \u00a0He said, Pa that is, he said that he had to \u00a0make sure that everything was in order because of something they were planning for the future.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s right, we wanted to make sure we could finance Adam\u2019s college fees.\u201d Marie sighed, straightening the sheets around the still body, and looking into Adam\u2019s face and thinking how young he looked as he slept there.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, Adam kept right on insisting. \u00a0Saying the horses wouldn\u2019t be there much longer. \u00a0He said that if Pa didn\u2019t come then he\u2019d go on his own. \u00a0I said that I\u2019d go with him if Pa was too busy but he said I couldn\u2019t go, so I got on with my breakfast. \u00a0Pa was a bit tetchy with him but finally agreed to go. \u00a0 Adam was sure pleased, he gave me a great big grin. \u00a0I didn\u2019t see \u2018em then until they came back later.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Marie walked to Hoss\u2019 side and put her arm around his waist (she couldn\u2019t comfortably reach his shoulders as she could Joe or Adams), and put her head on his shoulder,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI guess that\u2019s why Adam has had such an obsession about Ben, and has pushed himself so hard. \u00a0He\u2019s still trying to make up for what he thinks he caused to happen to Ben. \u00a0He\u2019s punishing himself, isn\u2019t he?\u201d she said quietly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDo you think so, Ma?\u201d Hoss asked, looking down at her, and seeing the look on her face he bowed his head, \u201cShucks, I sure wish I could\u2019ve got them to change their minds back then. \u00a0Or gone with them.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThen you would have been killed as well,\u201d Marie replied, \u201cWhat would we have done without you, Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n They stood by the window and stared out at the mountains, both deep in thought. Hoss was recalling the events of that day over 12 years ago now. \u00a0He had been happy, he recalled, fussing over a new foal, playing with his little brother. \u00a0 Then Adam had returned home with Pa, and Hoss had carried a small knot of misery inside his heart ever since.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Marie was thinking of her other son, the one she had never met since he had been taken from her. \u00a0She was wondering what would happen when they met, what would they say, would they like each other? \u00a0How would he feel about Joe, would Joe like him?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe sat in his chair and though of the complexities of his brother, Adam. \u00a0He remembered Paul saying that the mind was a strange thing, and that something deep down was locked in Adam\u2019s mind, they just needed to find the key. \u00a0Perhaps Adam had provided them with it now? \u00a0 The problem was how to get the right lock for the key to fit into and restore Adam to them? \u00a0 He bowed his head, and realised, not for the first time, that life without his big brother would be unbearable.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 63<\/p>\n Lil sat down at the table and pulled off her shoes. \u00a0She leaned down to massage her feet, one foot at a time. \u00a0A job in a saloon was hard on the feet, walking around the tables, standing behind the men and just generally parading around. \u00a0She sighed with contentment when Joy came and joined her, placing a large glass of cold lemonade in front of her.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDrink up, Lil. \u00a0This will keep you going for the evening shift.\u201d Joy smiled and began to drink her own glass of lemonade, \u201cPappy sure knows how to make a good jug of lemonade. \u00a0My mom taught him to make it years back in Georgia.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lil nodded and smiled, it was refreshing, the cold lemonade hit her throat and eased the ache in it. \u00a0She looked around as the saloon doors opened, and sighed with annoyance when several cowboys strolled in and looked over at them.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIsn\u2019t that just typical, the one chance a gal gets to rest up and in they troop.\u201d she grumbled.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s the weather. \u00a0Pappy says they always keep coming in when it\u2019s raining.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n They stopped talking as a tall young man approached them. \u00a0He was smiling pleasantly, and asked them very politely if they would mind if he could join them. \u00a0The girls looked at one another and Lil hurriedly shuffled her shoes back on, which was a little more difficult than taking them off, because her feet had become a little bit swollen.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI just wanted to talk. \u00a0If you don\u2019t mind.\u201d the \u00a0young man said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, that depends on what you want to talk about, handsome.\u201d Lil replied, looking at her lemonade now and wondering if Charley would mind if she continued to drink it rather than encourage the cowboy to buy them a whiskey.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou know the Cartwrights, don\u2019t you?\u201d he asked cautiously, glancing from one to the other of them, and he frowned when he rightly interpreted their body language as, to say the least, wary. \u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s not that I\u2019m prying -.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo? \u00a0Then what else do you call it then?\u201d Joy asked, her flaming copper hair seeming to suddenly take on a life of its own around her face and stand on end, like the Gorgons writhing hair.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMy father was an old friend of Mr Cartwrights, and I wanted to look them up, to thank them for what they did for him. \u00a0 I didn\u2019t want to go in ignorant of any latest history, it could be awkward for them, as well as me.\u201d \u00a0he ran his tongue over his teeth, and then smiled, \u201cI\u2019m sorry, I should introduce myself, the name\u2019s Clay Stafford. \u00a0Can I get you ladies a drink, or are you happy with lemonade?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joy and Lil looked at one another, and both thanked him nicely and said a whiskey would be fine by them.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, ,don\u2019t go away then,\u201d he said with a smile and walked from the table to the counter.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s a good looking boy,\u201d Lil whispered and winked.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBut do you believe him, about what he said ?\u201d Joy raised her eyebrows, and looked anxious, \u201cI don\u2019t want to annoy Little Joe by saying the wrong thing.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh, for Pete\u2019s sake, you haven\u2019t even seen Little Joe in ages, so what\u2019s the difference.\u201d Lil replied rather too snappily for Joy\u2019s liking<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s because his brother\u2019s ill,\u201d Clay told them as he pulled out his chair and settled back down again.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAdam do you mean?\u201d Lil asked, and when Clay nodded, she shook her head, \u201cThat\u2019s too bad. \u00a0He is just one handsome gorgeous man. \u00a0You don\u2019t get many of his kind around nowadays, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Clay smiled and said nothing, having always thought himself a rather handsome gorgeous man he did feel rather slighted, as though they hadn\u2019t even noticed.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSo? \u00a0What do you want to know? \u00a0A potted history or answers to your particular questions?\u201d Joy asked in a very business like tone. \u00a0She took the whiskey and sipped it. \u00a0It really didn\u2019t taste so good after the lemonade, but she knew she would be expected to drink it. \u00a0\u201cAsk away.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cGive me the potted history first.\u201d Clay smiled, thinking she was such a pretty girl and wasted in a job in the saloon.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThen you must rely on Lil, she\u2019s been here for years and known them just as long. I\u2019ve only been here a few weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Clay turned to Lil and nodded, \u201cWell, if you don\u2019t mind then, Miss Lil.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n They both giggled at that, girlish giggles that meant nothing in particular but gave Lil time to think about what to say. \u00a0She nodded her dark head obligingly, and the dark red feather in her hair bobbed along with it.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSo then, Mr – Stafford, did you say?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou can call me Clay.\u201d he smiled and his dark eyes twinkled. \u00a0Lil smiled back, he had hint of danger to him that made him very attractive to her.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, first thing everyone gets to know is that Mr Ben Cartwright was married to three different women, not all at the same time I hasten to add,\u201d she giggled and Clay smiled and Joy sighed, \u201cEach of them had a son. \u00a0Adam, he\u2019s the eldest, and his Ma died when he was born. \u00a0Then Hoss was born on the prairie west of Missourri, and his Ma died during an Indian attack. \u00a0He was just a few weeks old then, so Adam and Mr Ben had to rear him. \u00a0 They arrived here on the Washoe when there was hardly any mines about at all, just prospectors panning for gold, and hoping to see \u2018the elephant\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThe what?\u201d Joy asked, with a startled look on her face.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThe elephant. \u00a0See, only a few folk ever saw an elephant for real so if anyone of them actually made a strike they would say they had seen the elephant. \u00a0I guess it made a change from yelling Eureka all the time.\u201d Lil fluttered her eyelashes, pleased at having made an intelligent impression on them both.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSo he built his ranch here thinking he\u2019d be able to live in splendid isolation, did he?\u201d Joy leaned her elbow on the table and looked thoughtfully at Lil, \u201cSo when did Little Joe arrive?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAh, well, Mr Cartwright had to go away to New Orleans on business so it\u2019s said, but he came back with his wife, Marie Cartwright. \u00a0She was a real fancy lady by all accounts. \u00a0Eagle Station was established by then but it was still pretty rough compared to the places she had been to and seen. \u00a0Mrs Hawkins said that Mrs Cartwright had even lived in Paris, France for a little while.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Clay said nothing, but stared thoughtfully down at his glass, while his mind travelled through time, picking up little memories of things he had overheard the servants whispering about in the corridors.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re mighty quiet all of a sudden, Clay, am I boring you?\u201d Lil said, leaning in towards him and peeking up into his face. \u00a0He mustered a smile and shook his head,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI was just thinking it was a bit of a co-incidence, that was all. I\u2019m New Orleans born and bred, you see.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes, but you\u2019re a whole lot younger than Mrs Cartwright. \u00a0You\u2019d not have known her.\u201d Lil replied, emptying her glass and pushing it towards him with a smile.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Clay took the hint and left the table to go to the counter and order two more whiskies. \u00a0Lil leaned over to Joy<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDoesn\u2019t he remind you of someone?\u201d she whispered but Joy just shook her head, and wondered how she was going to get through the night with another whiskey inside her. \u00a0She just hoped her father would remember how much she hated the stuff and would just give her cold tea instead.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDo you want to know anything else now, Clay?\u201d Lil asked as she took the whisky from him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI heard that Mr Cartwright died a few years ago, is that right?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh yes, he was shot in an ambush, and his son Adam was nearly killed as well. \u00a0Mrs Cartwright and Adam run the ranch between them, with Hoss and Joe\u2019s help of course.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat kind of man was he? \u00a0Did you ever meet him, Lil?\u201d he leaned forward, resting his chin between his cupped hands, elbows on the table and his hazel eyes dreamily looking into her face.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes, I did meet him.\u201d Lil said quietly, \u201cI had just moved here into town. \u00a0I was not more than fifteen years old then and came with my Pa. \u00a0He was one of those who wanted to strike it rich. \u00a0But he got tuberculosis and died, and I ended up working in the saloons. \u00a0Mr Cartwright was always kind to us girls. \u00a0He raised his boys to treat us with respect too, not like some. \u00a0Oh, he was a handsome man alright despite being so much older than me. \u00a0I think -\u201d she paused and raised her glass, then set it down again, untouched, \u201cI think he was the most respected man in the whole territory. \u00a0He had carved out a name for himself \u00a0if you like. \u00a0I wish he were still alive. \u00a0You\u2019d have liked him, Joy.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve heard talk about him in town,\u201d Clay remarked calmly, \u201cSome say he was ruthless, arrogant even. But you don\u2019t seem to agree.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe was both those things when he had to be, and to be honest, Clay, he would have had to be to have survived. \u00a0You don\u2019t get a place like the Ponderosa up and running without having a backbone like steel.\u201d she sighed and leaned forward again, \u201cHe had the deepest voice of any man I have ever known. \u00a0The blackest eyes as well. \u00a0Yes, he had a strong, powerful face and a voice to go with it. \u00a0I\u2019m not surprised he had three wives. \u00a0A man like him would never have stayed widowed for long.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou sound like you were in love with him, Lil,\u201d Joy laughed a little \u00a0at her friend who had a tender expression in her eyes and who now looked at Joy with amazement,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI think most women in town fell in love with him, Joy. \u00a0Just a little perhaps.\u201d she laughed then herself and picked up her glass and drank it down quickly, \u201cAnyway, they caught the men who killed him and strung\u2019 em up.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s Mrs Cartwright like?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh she\u2019s lovely. \u00a0Very pretty and dresses well. \u00a0She brought the three boys up all by herself, and with the help of that Hop Sing. \u00a0He\u2019s very sweet you know, is Hop Sing.\u201d she bit her bottom lip, wondering if she were already getting a little tipsy, \u201cAnyway, she nearly got married again a little while back. A man from New Orleans. \u00a0 He was an old friend of the family it seems. \u00a0Turned out though that he was a wrong \u2018un. \u00a0Tried to kill Adam off, and they say he murdered young Evie. \u00a0 That was so sad, she had so much to live for, poor girl.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSo what happened to him?\u201d Joy leaned forwards, having been there for such a short time she still had not picked up on all the relevant gossip.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe shot his brains out right in front of Mrs Cartwright. \u00a0I heard that his brains were splattered all over her dress and up the wall.\u201d she leaned forward, \u201cHe nearly killed Adam too. \u00a0That was why he was so ill before.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSo what was the name of this man she was going to marry? \u00a0If he came from New Orleans, it\u2019s possible I may know him.\u201d Clay smiled at them both and gulped down the dregs of his beer.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDavid Carter.\u201d Lil replied, \u201cBut that wasn\u2019t his real name. \u00a0He had another name.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat was it?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d she said with a delicate shrug of the shoulders, \u201cSomething like a French name. \u00a0 It\u2019ll be on his tombstone, if they\u2019ve got one for him that is\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Clay nodded, and leaned back in his chair, a perplexed frown furrowing his brow. \u00a0After a little while he made his excuses and left the building. \u00a0 It took him half an hour to find the cemetery and to locate the grave. \u00a0There was no tombstone, only a wooden marker with the name \u201cRemy David Cartier\u201d burnt into it. \u00a0A crude reminder of the man who was buried there. \u00a0Clay Stafford stared at the name and felt his heart hammer beneath his ribs. \u00a0 It was a name known to him and mentioned often in the past by his grandmother. \u00a0She had always told him that had it not been for their good friend Remy Cartier life would never have been so good for any of them. \u00a0He was the one who had saved Clay\u2019s life, but how, Clay did not know.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 64<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Dr Martin felt the thready pulse and frowned, then glanced over at Marie who stood on the opposite side of the bed with her hands clasped in her skirts. He pulled the sheets back to cover the sick man and moved away, \u201cI don\u2019t really know what to say, Marie. I can\u2019t even tell you whether or not he\u2019s fighting this, he just seems to be hanging on in there but little else.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe talks, about Ben, to Ben \u2026 it\u2019s almost as though he wants to be with Ben now. Do you think that\u2019s a sign that he\u2019s giving up, Paul?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Paul shook his head, took her elbow and steered her away from the bed, \u201cMarie, I don\u2019t know. I don\u2019t know what to tell you. Are you giving him the medication as instructed?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes, of course we are,\u201d Marie looked startled to think that he would have assumed any negligence on their part.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAre you resting?\u201d he asked quietly, looking into her face and seeing the dark shadows under her eyes, the hollows of her cheeks that made her skin look less youthful that usual. He had always admired the way Marie had never looked her age. Somehow she had maintained that image of eternal youth but now, she looked exhausted and the last vestige of youth had flown.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAs best I can. I have a lot to think about, Paul, as I\u2019m sure you must realise.\u201d she turned away from him, remembering that doctors see more than most people. She opened the door and together they left the room.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam heard the click of the door and opened his eyes. He wondered why he was back in this room and then could not remember what room it was. He had expected to see hickory hoops and tarpaulin stretched over them creating the canopy effect under which he and Hoss slept every night in the wagon.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHoss? Hoss, where are you?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n There was no reply. The room was spinning around and around. He closed his eyes and drifted into a giggle as a small boy sat in the corner of the wagon and laughed at him. Merry blue eyes and rosebud mouth, curly golden hair.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHoss, you do that again and I\u2019ll tan your backside.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hoss only laughed again. He was a happy child, the result of a happy union. He held out his hand to his brother who reached down and picked him up,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHoss, have you seen Pa?\u201d he asked and the child said nothing, but looked away from his brother as though other things were more important.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam sighed. He pushed against the bed covers and shivered. One moment too hot and the next too cold. Where was he and why was he here? David Carter\u2019s face drifted into vision, and a gun, aimed at him. He heard the explosion and watched himself as he fell down the stairs.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe Cartwright brushed Cochise\u2019s coat with firm strokes of the brush. He had been in the stable for so long that Hoss had come out to see if he was alright, only to have his questions answered by grunts, so he had walked away. Joe put the brush down and stroked Cochise\u2019s neck,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cGood boy, Cooch, good boy.\u201d he whispered, and the horse twitched his ears as though he knew he was a good boy, and was pleased that someone had realised that fact at last.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe left the stable with his shoulders drooped, his head bowed. He looked the picture of dejection and was surprised to hear Hoss\u2019 voice close by. He looked up and saw his brother leaning against the corral fence.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHave you been waiting for me?\u201d he asked cautiously, he narrowed his eyes suspiciously, \u201cWhat\u2019s going on?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNuthin\u2019, \u201c Hoss replied, \u201cMa\u2019s with Paul at the moment so I thought I\u2019d get some air.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWho\u2019s with Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo one, except the doc and Ma.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe frowned and fidgeted with the bit and bridle in his hands. Like his brother he leaned against the corral fence and watched the horses moving restlessly around. Both of them tried to find something to say but their minds could only travel in one direction, eventually Hoss spoke,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDo you think Adam will pull through this time?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s got to, Hoss.\u201d Joe replied, his fingers tightening on the leather straps. The action seemed to stop Hoss from speaking as he watched the nervous fingers moving until finally Joe said in a rather breathless voice, \u201cHoss, do you remember when Adam came home with Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSure. I don\u2019t think I\u2019ll ever forget it.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t know what was happening. I think Hop Sing took me indoors and kept me in his room for a while. Then -,\u201d he paused and looked up, staring thoughtfully into the sky, \u201cI can remember seeing him in the coffin. I remember Ma holding me tightly and saying I didn\u2019t have to go and see Pa, but you said you were and Adam was already in the room. He had his arm in a sling. Was he hurt then, Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYeah, he was hurt. Don\u2019t you remember?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo. It isn\u2019t something we talk about much, is it?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, it isn\u2019t something I want to talk about,\u201d Hoss admitted honestly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSo, Adam brought Pa home and he was hurt himself. All this time he never said that he thought he was to blame for what happened.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhy should he? He was hurting enough inside as it was, no point in letting the whole world in on it. Shucks, Joe, I\u2019d have thought you\u2019d have known him well enough by now.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe said nothing but thought back to that strange horrible time. He had wanted to see Pa, and had expected him to be sitting in the chair like always. He had been told Pa was dead, but a five year old has strange ideas, fanciful hopes, and the idea they have of death is not always the standard one. So he had gone into the room to see Pa, and realised after a few faltering steps into the room that perhaps he had made an unwise decision.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t have to look, Joe.\u201d Adam had said with a long drawn out sigh, and Joe had decided that if everyone else had peeked why shouldn\u2019t he, so he had nodded and Hoss had come and lifted him up so that he could see inside the coffin. It was odd how he could never remember actually seeing inside, perhaps he had instinctively closed his eyes at that moment so that he would not know, would not see, nor have to acknowledge that Pa was dead.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIf Adam dies, it\u2019ll be my fault, won\u2019t it?\u201d he suddenly said, breaking into Hoss\u2019 thoughts so that his brother had to disentangle his thoughts into some kind of order,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cLook, Joe, like I said before, Adam chose to go with us. Just like Pa chose to go with Adam. Neither one of \u2018em was a kid, they could both have said no, couldn\u2019t they?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt won\u2019t change how I feel though, I\u2019ll just know inside that I\u2019m to blame.\u201d Joe bowed his head and shivered, \u201cI guess that\u2019s how Adam\u2019s been feeling all this time. About Pa, I mean.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hoss didn\u2019t say anything to that, if Adam blamed himself then that was Adam\u2019s business. He knew that he didn\u2019t blame his brother for Pa\u2019s death, and certainly Marie didn\u2019t blame him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI think I\u2019ll go in and see if he\u2019s alright,\u201d Hoss said, \u201cAre you coming in?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI guess so.\u201d came the sullen reply accompanied by the clink of the bit hitting against the metal of the bridle.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Paul and Marie were standing side by side as the brothers entered the room and heard Paul saying \u201cI\u2019ve not seen the young man since yesterday, but I haven\u2019t forgotten the message to give him when I do.\u201d he turned to the two brothers and nodded over to them, \u201cI\u2019ve brought some more medicine for your brother, boys.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHow is he?\u201d Joe asked.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHolding his own,\u201d came the somewhat cyptic reply. Paul smiled and picked up his hat, and turned to Marie, \u201cTry and rest, my dear. I don\u2019t want to be visiting here after Adam\u2019s recovery to treat you.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Marie smiled and walked to the door with him. \u201cThank you, Paul.\u201d she said quietly, and her eyes looked at him with such sadness in them that Paul wondered how on earth she was going to find any happiness in life again should Adam Cartwright die.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 63<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Clay returned to the saloon later that evening. \u00a0There had been such a conflict of feelings, such a confusion of memories going round and round in his head that he had taken his horse and ridden out to the Ponderosa boundaries. \u00a0In the rain and with glowering dark skies overhead he had sat and stared at the views about him and wondered at the strength of a man and his family to carve out such a kingdom. \u00a0 A thousand square miles of land, timber, gold and silver, cattle, horses. \u00a0This Ben Cartwright had been some kind of visionary to have achieved so much.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n And this Marie Cartwright from New Orleans, who had nearly married Remy Cartier. What was the real story behind that arrangement? \u00a0 He returned to town no nearer to solving the mysteries that surrounded him. \u00a0 He knew that perhaps some would never be resolved now, they went too far back into the family history and with his grand-parents, and parents, dead, there was no way he could put some of the riddles together.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It was a strange co-incidence thought that Joseph Cartwrights mother came from New Orleans and her name was Marie. \u00a0He had never seen a picture of his mother, never been shown one. \u00a0He had known her name was Marie but that \u00a0was all, that was the limit of his knowledge about her.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Of course, he realised now that had he not been in such a great hurry to leave New Orleans he could have gone to the Town Hall and checked through the records kept there. \u00a0Perhaps then he could have discovered just where his mother\u2019s origins had been conceived.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lil and Joy were too busy to join him at the table but acknowledged him with a brief smile and nod. \u00a0It suited him better to be left alone. \u00a0He had a lot to think about now.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam had sunk into that comatose state in which there was no sound, no sensation, only a warm black womb like existence. \u00a0He could either fight it, or sink deeper into it. \u00a0As his breathing became more shallow, and the colour of his flesh faded more and more, so Marie sat, watched and prayed. \u00a0 His brothers sat in, or paced about the room. \u00a0Life seemed to have been on hold for so long that all their nerves were strained to screaming pitch.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m going to get Paul,\u201d Joe cried suddenly, \u201cI can\u2019t stand here and just watch him slip away like this. \u00a0He has to fight harder than this. \u00a0It\u2019s almost as though he\u2019s given up on life and we\u2019re letting him.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThere isn\u2019t anything Paul can do for him now, Joseph,\u201d Marie said quietly, \u201cAdam has to do this bit on his own.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe must be able to do something for him, Ma? \u00a0We can\u2019t just let him go without a fight, surely.\u201d \u00a0Hoss exclaimed, coming now to stand at the bed and looking across at his brother, who had barely moved in the past 12 hours.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know what to suggest, Hoss. \u00a0I\u2019ve talked until I\u2019m hoarse, but there\u2019s never any reaction.\u201d she raised a hand to her brow, covered her eyes and tried to stem back the pains that throbbed at her temple.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMa, let Joe go and get Paul.\u201d Hoss said quietly, coming to stand close by her side now, as he always did when he noticed she was anxious, afraid or just needing some support. \u00a0She looked up at him, and he gave her a little nod as though assuring her it was alright, the right thing to do, the best thing.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe didn\u2019t need to be told twice, once Marie had nodded in approval he was down the stairs and grabbing at his coat, hat and gunbelt. \u00a0 Remembering it was raining he pulled out the slicker he usually wore, and then vanished into the night.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe needed to go, Ma.\u201d Hoss said softly, \u201cHe needs to feel he\u2019s doing something positive, something that would help Adam. \u00a0Staying here, like this, would only make him feel worse should Adam – you know what I mean, don\u2019t ya, Ma?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes, son, I understand,\u201d Marie whispered, and took hold of his hand. It was a big, strong hand, but gentle in the way he held hers within it. \u00a0Just like Ben\u2019s, and she closed her eyes and tried to recapture moments when she was with Ben, holding his hand like this, hearing him talk, laughing together. \u00a0Oh my God, she thought, Ben I miss you so much, why can\u2019t you be here now to help us through this misery.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam stirred and his eyelashes fluttered. \u00a0A slight smile touched his lips, and his breathing became more rapid. \u00a0Deep in the faraway place to which his mind had slipped, Adam stood in a field of corn. \u00a0It reached his waist, and when he lowered his hand his fingers brushed against the heavy heads that drooped from the weight of their seeds. \u00a0Poppies and buttercups coloured the landscape until it merged with the bluest of skies. \u00a0He looked up to watch a hawk hover, a call out its keening cry. \u00a0His eyes followed the hawks flight and then he found himself standing opposite his father.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, son, so here you are,\u201d Ben said, and smiled softly, that gentle smile a father gives to the sons that he sired and loved.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes, Pa, here I am,\u201d Adam replied.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t expect you to come this far,\u201d Ben frowned, \u201cI thought you would stay with Marie and the boys.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThey don\u2019t really need me, Pa.\u201d Adam plucked at a poppy, scarlet coloured and fragile, he sighed, above his head the hawk swooped down and a faint whisper of a cry was a testimony to its accuracy in hunting.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOf course they need you. \u00a0Whatever gave you that idea?\u201d Ben sounded angry now, and came closer, to place his hand upon Adam\u2019s arm.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry about what happened to \u00a0you, Pa. \u00a0It was my fault. \u00a0My fault entirely. \u00a0Now I feel that I should go and leave them to get on with life, without me. \u00a0They\u2019d be able to handle things pretty well. \u00a0You\u2019d be proud of them, Pa. \u00a0Hoss is such a grand fellow, and Joe is smart as paint.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAren\u2019t you proud of them, son?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes, I am.\u201d Adam replied solemnly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAnd what about Marie? \u00a0Don\u2019t you love her enough to stay and help her through these coming years. \u00a0They are going to be hard ones, son. \u00a0There\u2019s a war brewing that\u2019s going to rend our nation apart. \u00a0You need to be there for them all.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam dropped the frail flower and turned to his father, his eyes searched the man\u2019s face, every line of which he knew by heart and loved.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPa? \u00a0Is this heaven?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo. \u00a0It\u2019s just me talking to you in your mind, that\u2019s all. \u00a0You need to get things sorted out, son. But you can\u2019t do much in the state \u00a0you are in now. \u00a0It\u2019s time you fought back.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI haven\u2019t the strength this time,\u201d Adam sighed and those sitting by his bed, hearing the words that came from his lips in a hoarse whisper, \u00a0looked at one another and gripped each others hands more tightly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAdam,\u201d the deep voice spoke the name firmly, gently, \u201cYou must fight now otherwise you\u2019ll lose this battle, son. \u00a0You have to get back.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cGet back?\u201d Adam groaned, \u201cBut how?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou have to use every ounce of will power you have, Adam. \u00a0For Marie, for your brothers, for the future of the Ponderosa.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Marie leaned over to catch the words that were spoken , but now there was just silence, a groan, long and agonising and then a sigh.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Clay had eventually found himself involved in a game of poker. \u00a0The four men involved seemed to know one another well enough, and didn\u2019t seem to mind his joining them. \u00a0It was better than sitting alone nursing a glass of beer and meditating on things that \u00a0no longer made any sense. \u00a0 He was on a winning streak, \u00a0and there was a bit of fidgeting going on around the table when it came to be his turn to deal.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Paul Martin walked into the saloon while the game was being played and recognising Clay as the young man who had helped the Cartwrights the previous day, he raised a glass in acknowledgement. \u00a0Clay nodded but concentrated on his game. \u00a0 It was a tense round. \u00a0Eventually Clay won and pocketed the money rather begrudgingly put down on the table. \u00a0As the other men dispersed, grumbling rather loudly, Paul approached and asked if he could have a chair. Clay smiled and nodded,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMrs Cartwright asked me to deliver you a message, if I were to see you again,\u201d Paul said, \u201cShe wanted to know if you could call by the house so that she could personally thank you for your good Samaritan act yesterday.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s kind of her, but I\u2019ll leave it for a while. \u00a0 I doubt if it would \u00a0be considered fair to visit just yet. \u00a0I\u2019m sure they have a lot on their minds just now.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s true enough. \u00a0 It was bad enough the last time, I thought young Adam had got over his injuries, but he\u2019s such a hard headed stubborn young man that he pushed himself back to work far too soon and has had a major relapse.\u201d he drank a long drought of the beer, and sighed, \u201cYou\u2019re from New Orleans, aren\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWord gets around,\u201d Clay replied, raising his eyebrows and glancing quickly over at Lil.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt does.\u201d Paul smiled, \u201cMrs Cartwright\u2019s from New Orleans as well. \u00a0 So was the man she nearly married a few months ago.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSo I heard.\u201d Clay grinned, \u201cWord gets around,\u201d he repeated with a wry twist to his lips.<\/p>\n \u201cTell me, though, Doc, if you don\u2019t mind my asking something so personal, but what is she like, this Mrs Cartwright?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMarie? \u00a0Oh, well -,\u201d Paul frowned in thought, \u201cWell, I guess she\u2019s the kind of woman that makes a man envy the man she\u2019s married to. \u00a0Ben had three lovely wives, good women too. \u00a0 Marie\u2019s from New Orleans, as I said earlier, I believe she\u2019s of \u00a0French Creole descent. \u00a0I recall Ben telling me that she was a marvellous fence women, she has her swords in the house, epee\u2019s she calls them. \u00a0No, she\u2019s a lovely woman all right, and intelligent too. \u00a0She\u2019s been a good mother to those boys of hers.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHers? \u00a0I thought she only had the one son?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cShe treats them all the same, you\u2019d never know the distinction, although, perhaps there may be one. \u00a0Joe\u2019s her son. \u00a0I had only been here a few months when they called me out to deliver him. \u00a0They were good friends of mine; \u00a0good friends,\u201d he added slowly, and raised his glass to finish his drink.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHow did they meet? \u00a0Mr Cartwright and Marie. \u00a0Do you know?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBefore my time, young man. \u00a0 I think he had some business to attend to in New Orleans and met her there.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He was about to say more when the saloon doors were thrown open and Joe Cartwright rushed inside, glancing wildly from left to right, when he saw Paul he rushed up to the table, and grabbed at his arm,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPaul, you\u2019ve got to come quick. \u00a0I think Adam\u2019s dying,\u201d his voice broke, he struggled not to reveal his emotion but that was something always difficult for Joe to conceal, \u201cYou have to come with me, now, please.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Paul and Clay both rose to their feet, but whereas Paul followed on after Joe, Clay remained standing and watching the doors close behind them, he sat down, slowly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 51<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A subdued silence fell over the men and women crowded into the saloon. Even before the doors had closed the atmosphere had changed from a highly charged babble of noise to one of melancholy silence. Clay looked around him. An air of impending doom had fallen like a blanket over them all and he was about to speak when a man stood up, a miner by his clothing, bristling with hair and a beard down to his chest,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cLooks like Adam Cartwright ain\u2019t gonna make it, folks. I reckon a drink to Mr Adam\u2019s good health,\u201d and he headed for the counter and slammed down more money than Clay had seen in a long time, \u201cDrinks for everyone. Here\u2019s to Mr Adam. God bless him.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A rumble of noise broke out around them, as there were sounds of agreement from men and women alike, and someone else shouted \u201cA round on me as well. Here\u2019s to Mr Adam and the little lady up there,\u201d someone shouted \u201cHere\u2019s to Joe, Hoss and the Missus. Here\u2019s hoping the man pulls through.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lil came and slammed down a glass of whiskey for herself, and a beer for Clay. She sat down rather heavily into a chair and blinked back tears,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re well thought of here, the Cartwrights,\u201d Clay murmured.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, Ben wasn\u2019t one who trampled on others to get what he wanted, Mr Stafford. He cared about folks, and so do the other Cartwrights. We owe them a lot, one way or another. You ever met Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, I\u2019ve not met any of them, oh, Hoss, just briefly.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, you just met another, briefly.\u201d Lil smiled, \u201cLittle Joe. Quite a heart breaker is Joe. One flash of those hazel green eyes and a girl can lose control, y\u2019know.\u201d she smiled, a rather bleak and wobbly smile, and stared fixedly at her glass, \u201cAdam\u2019s like his father in lots of ways, not surprising really, seeing as he had no mother and it was just him and his Pa travelling west together. Can you imagine that?\u201d she gave a small mirthless laugh, and drank some more.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou seem to care a lot about Adam Cartwright, if you don\u2019t mind my saying so.\u201d Clay said quietly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI guess I do. I guess it was those brown eyes that did it ..\u201d she laughed again, and then shook her head, \u201cNot that he would look twice at me. He\u2019s kind, and remembers my name. That\u2019s about all though.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cFor some, that\u2019s enough.\u201d Clay picked up his glass and glanced about him. Even now the throng of people were subdued, drinking deep and saying little.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAre you related to them?\u201d Lil asked suddenly, leaning across to view him more closely, \u201cWhen Joe came in here I couldn\u2019t help noticing how alike you were to him.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Clay stared at her, and swallowed hard, then picked up his beer, but he said nothing in reply.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Later, in his room at the boarding house, he leaned towards the mirror and stared at the face he had looked at most of his life and mentally superimposed the image of Joe Cartwright over it. The same shock of thick brown hair, the same shaped eyes and resolute chin. He stepped back and shook his head. Perhaps cousins? Brothers though? No, that couldn\u2019t be possible, could it?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n In her room Marie took out the posters and looked at the rough sketch of the man wanted for murder. How hard it was to stop from thinking about him. Even now, with Adam possibly on his death bed, she found her mind wandering back to the fact that she knew Clay was in Virginia City.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She heard voices from downstairs and knew that Joe had returned with Paul. She took a deep breath and steeled herself for the news that was to come. Overhead the thunder rattled across the sky making the windows shudder in their frames.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam wanted to hold onto the picture of Ben in his mind, to talk and talk, but something was dragging him away. Ben was smiling at him, and had raised his hand as though in farewell. Then there was a flurry of darkness and light and he was back to when they were riding together, and there were gunshots and Ben was falling, blood streaked his clothing, and there was pain in his own body. The worse pain of all was in his heart as he saw his beloved father fall from his horse, fall and hit the ground.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, Pa, No, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hardly a cry, hardly a scream but it brought Marie running into the room, and Hoss shot up from his chair to reach his bedside. Adam sat up, his eyes wide and staring, his face chalk white. Then he collapsed into Hoss\u2019 arms, and his brother heard him whisper \u201cPa, Don\u2019t go. Don\u2019t go.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n …………………..<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Esmond Scott was a wealthy man. He lived in a very large colonial house with not a neighbour in sight. He had a wife (of whom he was quite fond as she caused him no problems like some men\u2019s wives ) and three daughters. Sometimes his wife would exclaim about the number of newspapers that arrived at their home. Newspapers and tabloids that came from all over the country. But Esmond Scott liked to have the newspapers arriving because he could then read the obituaries. He was very fond of reading obituaries especially when he had been busy doing some \u2019tidying up\u2019 for a client.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n There had only been disappointing news in the tabloid from Virginia City. Not only had his \u2019bit of business\u2019 recovered from his injuries, but his client had killed himself. Esmond was very disappointed about that, because he had some principles. One of them was that it took some courage to decide to \u2019tidy away\u2019 someone, and if a person then goes and shoots himself, then he obviously lacked any courage at all. He was a failure. Esmond Scott did not like failures.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He felt rather morose about all this business. He was especially disappointed about the way his victim had been found and taken care of, and had moped about the house rather out of sorts with himself and everyone. So much so that his wife had suggested that he take a little holiday. He declined her kind consideration on his behalf and continued to mope for a few more days.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The letter arrived about breakfast time. He was seated at the table surveying his wife and the three girls. He was quite fond of them in a way a lot of people are fond of their dogs. He had trained both his children and his dogs to sit, be still, be quiet and to eat with their mouths shut. A difficult thing for a dog but somehow they had managed.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He was wondering at what age he could begin finding an eligible suitor for his eldest daughter. She was 15 years old, reasonably attractive, but inclined to chatter. He didn\u2019t like chattering. He had a lot on his mind most of the time and chatter was distracting.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He opened the letter with a bit of sigh, wondering if perhaps he should take up his wife\u2019s suggestion and go away for a while. He was really seriously disappointed in Remy Cartier, and it weighed on his mind about having taken the money without the job having been completed to satisfaction.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He read the letter through twice before replacing it in an envelope. His wife watched him carefully. She had always wondered where Esmond got the money to support them all so lavishly. He did not appear to have a job as such, although, due to his wealth, he was on several different Boards of Directors. She assumed they paid him for doing whatever he did there.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n After they had eaten and the girls had stood up politely so that Papa could walk down the line and drop a kiss on their brow and tell them to behave themselves, Esmond excused himself and went to his study. He then re-read the letter.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It was going to be quite a lucrative assignment. A wealthy personage wanted to hire someone to tidy away a young man, description as provided in enclosed Wanted poster. This person had shot dead the only son of the under-signed. It was during a card game and the son had accused the other party of cheating. There had been talk of a duel, something that did not appeal to the son, who had drawn out a gun, but the other man had drawn as well. The outcome had been death for the under-signeds son. Now he wanted his son\u2019s killer disposed of immediately. He had reasons to believe that the killer had travelled to Nevada, to a town called Virginia City.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Esmond Scott paced the floor several times and re-read the letter. He had heard of the writer, most of America would have done for he was not only very wealthy, but also a Senator and his family had come over on the Mayflower (so it was claimed). He had contacts in high places who had recommended him (Scott). He did not want to meet. But all communication was to be done via another contact, name enclosed.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Esmond flung himself into his chair and bit his finger nails. The amount of money offered was excellent, he couldn\u2019t have wished for better. The person involved was vulnerable, for when the time came for Esmond to be unable to travel to do these little tidy up jobs, he could always turn his hand to a little blackmail. Everything was good except for the location. Esmond Scott did not like to return to the scene of action. Particularly one where the job had gone wrong.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He looked over the details of the killer in the Wanted poster. Surely being so well advertised would mean every bounty hunter worth his salt would be out looking for him as well? He was suddenly unsure of what to do.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n During the course of the day his mind returned constantly to this request for help. He began to think of it as a challenge, as a dare. He sat at his desk making plans, scheming about how to carry out the job. The extra element of danger only made it more exciting, after all, life could be pretty dull at times.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He picked up a pen and began to write his acceptance, agreed the sum of money but stressed that expenses incurred would be extra. He explained that time would be needed for him to locate the person concerned should they have moved on, but that he would keep in touch with the \u2018contact\u2019 to keep Mr X informed of what was going on.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He sealed the envelope and put it to one side. It would be interesting, he thought, to visit the Ponderosa, and perhaps finish off the job he had been paid for so lavishly. It was only fair after all. He hated loose ends!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 68<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The storm had finally subsided, leaving the air feeling clean and fresh. \u00a0 Hoss had put some fresh logs on the fire for the room had become cold. \u00a0The flames cast shadows over the walls and made them dance. \u00a0He pulled up a chair closer to the bed and sat down. \u00a0He was tired, doggone it, as he would have said, he was plumb worn out. \u00a0Joe and Marie had agreed to rest. \u00a0Over an hour ago Paul had finally left the house, threatening blue murder if Marie did not get some sleep. \u00a0 He had warned them all that the fever would break within the next few hours. \u00a0If they had thought they had seen the worse then they were wrong. \u00a0If they thought Adam had survived, and would live, then they were going to have to wait and find out.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hoss hated this waiting. \u00a0 He had eaten his nails down to the quick, and had tried to read some of the books that Adam had in his room,but to no avail. \u00a0He just wanted really to sit by the bed, and wait. \u00a0He was sure that Adam would open his eyes and be alright. \u00a0Hoss could not imagine life on the Ponderosa without Adam there.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He sighed heavily, and looked at his brother carefully. \u00a0Had there been a change since he had moved away to see to the fire? \u00a0Surely he was not imagining it? \u00a0He leaned towards the bed,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAdam? \u00a0Can you hear me?\u201d he asked hopefully.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The man in the bed stirred, his eyelids fluttered, and he turned his face towards the sound of Hoss\u2019 voice. \u00a0 He opened his eyes and tried to focus on his brother, but the room was too many different shades and shadows. \u00a0He closed his eyes again.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHoss? \u00a0Is that you?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSure is, brother.\u201d Hoss could barely contain the glee in his voice. \u00a0Hadn\u2019t he just known for sure that Adam was going to be alright, well, hadn\u2019t he?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHoss? \u00a0What happened to me?\u201d Adam asked softly, with his eyes still closed and barely able to enunciate the words clearly through such a dry mouth.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou fell off your horse, that\u2019s what \u00a0you did.\u201d Hoss couldn\u2019t stop the smile from coming through in his voice, and Adam\u2019s lips twitched into a parody of the same<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI fell off my horse? \u00a0How come I hurt so much then?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou kinda fell awkward,\u201d Hoss explained, \u00a0\u201cAnd you\u2019ve not been so well either.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t feel so good,\u201d Adam replied after a moment\u2019s silence. \u201cHoss?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYeah?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIs Pa here?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hoss felt his mouth go dry, and he licked his lips, and shook his head, even though Adam had his eyes shut,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, Adam, he ain\u2019t here. \u00a0Pa\u2019s been gone for a long time now.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam said nothing. \u00a0He scrunched up his eyes a little, and his lips tightened. \u00a0 For a while the two brothers were quiet, while the shadows danced about them. \u00a0The fire warmed the room, but Hoss was aware of a chill settling all about him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m tired, Hoss. \u00a0Can I have some water?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSure,\u201d Hoss replied and poured out water from the carafe into a glass, and then raised Adam up, and held the glass to his lips. \u00a0After a few sips Adam nodded, and opened his eyes, and looked at his brother, he smiled,\u201cThanks, Hoss.\u201d he said quietly, and with a sigh, closed his eyes again.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hoss lowered him back onto the pillows, and listened to his even breathing. \u00a0It was shallow and rapid, but steadier than it had been. \u00a0He quickly left the room and knocked on Joe\u2019s door, and peered into the room. \u00a0Joe had decided to sleep with the light on,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJoe? \u00a0Wake up,\u201d Hoss cried as he shook Joe by the shoulder, \u201cGet Ma, Adam\u2019s woken up and he\u2019s going to be alright. \u00a0Didn\u2019t I tell ya?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll get Ma.\u201d Joe said, and rubbed his eyes, \u201cDid he say anything? Was he talking to you?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYeah, well, he asked what had happened, and -\u201d Hoss paused, and wondered whether to say anything else, \u201cHe asked if Pa were here.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, that hardly means anything really,\u201d Joe said hastily. \u201cI\u2019ll get Ma.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hoss nodded and happily went to back to Adams room, where he found his brother asleep with one arm flung across his face as though shielding it from the light, and the other arm flung over the side of the bed. \u00a0 He gently arranged both arms back under the sheets and sat down again.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe tapped on his mother\u2019s bedroom door and gently pushed it open. \u00a0It had occurred to him that had his mother not woken up right away he would not disturb her as she had slept little of late and if there was really no bad news to tell her then it would no doubt be better for her to sleep on.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He approached her bed, a lamp in his hand casting a golden glow in the room. \u00a0 Looking down at her he could see that she was sleeping soundly. \u00a0He set the lamp down on the table in order to pull the coverlet further over her and to protect her from the chill of the night. \u00a0As he did so his eye fell upon the rolled up paper that had fallen upon the floor. \u00a0The drawer of her bedside cabinet had been pulled open and he realised that she must have been looking at the paper before falling asleep. \u00a0He smiled gently, and picked it up.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n There were two pages, rolled together. \u00a0Always curious, Joe slowly unfolded them and found himself looking at a rather rough sketch of a young man. \u00a0What concerned him most were several things, one was the fact the young man was wanted for murder, and the other was the name \u2026 Clayton de Marigney.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 69<\/p>\n <\/p>\n For some moments Joe stared down at the rough rather crude sketch of the young man in the poster. \u00a0He looked vaguely familiar, but it was the name that rang through his head. He read through the details, twice over, and felt his heart hammering beneath his ribs. \u00a0Marie stirred on the bed and sighed. \u00a0Afraid that he would be seen with the papers in his hands, Joe hastily stuffed them back into a drawer and closed it quietly. \u00a0 Marie remained sleeping. \u00a0Without disturbing his mother, Joe hurried from the room and made his way to his brothers.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n So many questions went round and round in his head. \u00a0Was Clay here, in Virginia City? \u00a0Did his mother know that? If she did for how long? \u00a0Who else knew? \u00a0Did Adam? Did Hoss? \u00a0Was he, in fact, the only person not to have been told that Clay was here, if he were, indeed, in town? \u00a0 He felt his emotions stirring round and round in his head, so much so that when he stepped into Adam\u2019s room, Hoss immediately asked him if he were alright,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSure, I\u2019m just worried about Adam, that\u2019s all.\u201d Joe replied curtly, which made Hoss look at him rather warily again.\u201dHow is he, Hoss?\u201d and he stepped quickly closer to the bed and looked down at the man sleeping there.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe looks a whole lot better, Joe. \u00a0Don\u2019t you think so?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe turned up the lamp and looked down at his brother\u2019s face, then he looked at Hoss and smiled, nodded,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe looks like he\u2019s just sleeping natural, don\u2019t he?\u201d he whispered quietly, and he placed a gentle hand on Adams chest and felt the heart beat, steadier now than it had been for some time. \u00a0He sat down on the chair that Hoss had just vacated and slumped down, his shoulders sagged and he allowed a long sigh to slip from his lips, then he rubbed his brow, as though to remove the worry that was buzzing about his brain, \u201cI thought he was going to die this time, Hoss. \u00a0I was scared that he was going to leave us, like Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI was scared about the same thing, little brother. \u00a0Do you reckon Adam went through this crisis thing without us even knowing? \u00a0 That Paul got it wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe must have done, Hoss. \u00a0Adam sure looks a lot better now than he did a couple of hours ago, doesn\u2019t he?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n They both leaned over the sick man and stared down at the pale face, the closed eyes and slightly smiling lips.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDid you tell Ma?\u201d Hoss whispered.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d Joe said abruptly, \u201cShe was sleeping. I didn\u2019t want to disturb her, Hoss. She\u2019s pretty tired. \u00a0She\u2019s got a lot on her mind, you know.\u201d and he gave his brother a sharp look, as though trying to discover any sign that Hoss would know about the posters. \u00a0But dear honest Hoss had been far too concerned about his brother to worry about some posters concerning a man he never knew. \u00a0 He only nodded in agreement rather vaguely, abstractedly, and left Joe wondering just who did know, and was he the only one who did not.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In the bed Adam stirred and opened his eyes. \u00a0There were the shadows all around him still, but there was also the welcome sight of his brothers standing beside the bed. He looked at them clearly for the first time in too long. \u00a0Hoss and Joe. \u00a0He needed them as much as they needed him, of that he was certain, more certain now that he had ever been in his life.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n They were standing close together, one so big and broad and the other so slight and slim. \u00a0He smiled, closed his eyes, and drifted contentedly into sleep. Everything, he told himself, would be just fine now, just fine.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Marie slept until late that next morning. \u00a0Joe gave Hop Sing instructions not to disturb her but to allow her to wake up naturally. \u00a0 He had, however, slipped into the bedroom and very carefully opened the drawer to look once again at the posters. To fix into his head the rough sketch of this \u2018other\u2019 brother. \u00a0Then he had put them away, looked down at his sleeping mother, and then hurried out of the room.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Paul came just after the two men had eaten their breakfast. \u00a0He accepted a cup of hot strong coffee and then went up to see his patient. \u00a0He put his bag down on the table by the bed and surveyed Adam critically. \u00a0His patient opened his eyes and frowned,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPaul? \u00a0What are you doing here?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNow, arn\u2019t you full of surprises, young man. \u00a0Here I am, thinking to find myself with a dead man on my hands, and there you are, full of sass.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHardly that,\u201d Adam said quietly, \u201cI feel like a wet rag. \u00a0How\u2019re the boys?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThey are fine. \u00a0Can you sit up without help?\u201d \u00a0Paul stood by the bed, watched the man struggle and then assisted to get him the rest of the way up, \u201cYou\u2019re very weak, Adam. \u00a0I wish you would take some notice of me at times. \u00a0You needed far more bed rest than you gave yourself, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cA ranch this size doesn\u2019t run itself, you know.\u201d Adam said, sounding so like Ben that Paul smiled, and nodded in agreement.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He ran a few tests while he was there, which his patient bore with remarkable tolerance. Then he closed his bag and surveyed Adam thoughtfully,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI have to say, Adam I am surprised at how well, and how quickly, you have recovered from this fever. \u00a0 Perhaps this time you will take notice of me, and rest up.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPaul, I -\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI know, there\u2019s work to be done. \u00a0Well, let Joe and Hoss get on and do it for you. They\u2019re capable young men. \u00a0They can manage.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam said nothing to that, but leaned back against the pillows. \u00a0Paul smiled,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAny pain anywhere?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cA little, where I got shot. \u00a0It\u2019s not much, not like it was before.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHow\u2019s your back?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPainful. But not as bad as it was, \u201c Adam answered but with his mind already elsewhere. \u00a0He closed his eyes, he was suddenly very tired, and could barely hear what it was that Paul said, presumably something about resting as usual. \u00a0Before Paul had reached the door Adam was asleep.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHow is he, Doc?\u201d Hoss asked as soon as Paul reached the half landing, and Paul smiled and came down the stairs to tell them that their brother had made a remarkable recovery.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m surprised, I have to admit that, I didn\u2019t expect to see him like this, but then, you Cartwrights are always full of surprises.\u201d he picked up his cup of coffee, nearly cold, and drank it, \u201cHow\u2019s your mother, Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s sleeping, sir. \u00a0I thought it better not to disturb her.\u201d Joe replied quickly and smiled, but the doctor noticed that his eyes were distant, wary.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAnd, how are you, young man? \u00a0Are you alright?\u201d he asked kindly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m fine, sir, just fine.\u201d \u00a0Joe replied, looking puzzled. \u00a0How come people always seemed to know how he was feeling, he was feeling anything but fine to be honest. His mind was a morass of doubts and confusion, his heart was tumbling over with mixed emotions, and he felt anything but happy. \u00a0Relieved about Adam, certainly, but now that the worry was over, that he was assured that Adam was going to be well, all the other anxieties just flooded in and took over.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Paul seemed content to leave things at that, he picked up his hat and walked to the door, followed by Hoss and Joe. \u00a0It was then that he turned,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI forgot to mention it to your mother last night, Joe, but would you tell her that I gave the young man her message.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat young man?\u201d Joe asked, narrowing his eyes and surveying Paul sharply.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThe young man I was sitting with when you came into the saloon for me last night.\u201d he smiled, slipped his hat onto his head, and left them.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat was all that about, Joe?\u201d Hoss asked, a slight frown on his brow.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHow\u2019d do I know?\u201d Joe replied angrily, and without another word he hurried up to Adam\u2019s room.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 7-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam woke up to find Little Joe sitting in the chair beside his bed. \u00a0For some moments he watched his brother who was totally immersed in thoughts so deep that he had not even noticed the pair of brown eyes that regarded him so earnestly from the bed.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe looked the image of dejection. \u00a0His head bowed, his chin resting on his chest, and his eyes focused on the floor. \u00a0He had one leg crossed over the other, and his arms folded in front of him. \u00a0His breathing was deep, and his brow was lined by faint furrows. \u00a0Every so often he would shake his head as though his thoughts were too troublesome and had to be shaken away.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJoe?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He jumped, startled at the sound of his brother\u2019s voice, but when he turned to look at him there was a smile on his face and his eyes were bright,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAdam? \u00a0Aw, you gave me a fright.\u201d he laughed then, a laugh that contained a mixture of relief and pleasure in it. \u00a0\u201cDo you want anything? Something to drink or eat?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWater?\u201d \u00a0Adam replied \u201cAnd help me sit up, I seem to be a bit – you know?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe grinned, typical of Adam, couldn\u2019t even use the word weak in relation to himself, even now. \u00a0He passed the glass of water to him, and noticed how his brother\u2019s hand shook slightly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAdam , don\u2019t you ever do this to us again, do you hear?\u201d \u00a0he frowned, \u201cYou scared ten bells out of me.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHuh, that\u2019s not an expression you hear everyday,\u201d Adam said softly, and leaned back against the pillows and closed his eyes, \u201cSo? What\u2019s been happening in the world while I was out of it? \u00a0You can tell me, you know, Joseph.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you mean, Adam?\u201d Joe sat down and pulled the chair closer. \u00a0He put his elbows on the covers and steepled his fingers together, tapping his chin lightly with the forefinger of both hands, \u201cWhat\u2019s on your mind, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI take it then, that your gloomy appearance was merely concern over my condition, huh? \u00a0Or is it the latest lady in your life giving you trouble? \u00a0Just send her up here and I\u2019ll soon get things sorted out for you,\u201d and he gave a low mirthless laugh.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, thanks, I remember the last time I did that,\u201d Joe scowled. \u00a0He sighed then and leaned back against the chair, \u201cAdam, do you remember David Carter telling us about how Ma had a little boy before she married Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThat doesn\u2019t sound good, Joseph, it needs rephrasing.\u201d \u00a0Adam frowned now, and wondered what his little brother was going to spring on him. \u00a0\u201cAlright, so Ma had a child by her first husband, Jean. \u00a0So?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat was his name?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cClayton de Marigney.\u201d Adam replied, and opened his eyes to look thoughtfully at his brother, and tried to remember something that seemed important but was lost in the back of his mind. \u00a0Something that had happened just before he was ill. \u00a0Was it this time or last? \u00a0\u201cWhy do you ask?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI just wondered if you know what had happened to him,\u201d Joe said over casually, staring at the dying embers of the fire.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJoseph, not so long ago you were determined to ride the length and breadth of the county to find him, remember? \u00a0He\u2019s in Texas if I recall.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou were going to send a cable to Judge Warden to find out more, if you recall.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAh, that\u2019s the point, I don\u2019t remember if I did or not.\u201d Adam took a deep breath and closed his eyes again, \u201cDid I go into town?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYep.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMmm, was I alone?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes, you were alone. \u00a0You went early if I remember rightly.\u201d Joe smiled, and looked at his brother fondly. \u00a0He wondered how long it would be before those dark shadows under the eyes would fade, and the hollows in his face were filled. \u00a0He could remember looking at Adam with adoration when a child, his big brother was always the big, strong, handsome hero to the little boy. \u00a0Perhaps some of the feeling still existed now. \u00a0He leaned forward, \u201cHoss rode in later on though, you may have met up in town.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s right, we did. \u00a0 Did we go for a drink?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI wasn\u2019t there,\u201d Joe chuckled, and wondered if Adam were teasing him. \u00a0Adam had a skittish sense of humour at times and loved to see just how far he could push Joe until his little brother lost his temper.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam sighed, he was really tired and mind games were not just what he wanted to indulge in right now. \u00a0He looked at Joe, and saw the earnest expression on his face. \u00a0Something was obviously troubling the lad, and it had to do with Clayton. \u00a0Clayton? \u00a0Now that sounded familiar. \u00a0He sat upright and pointed to the chair in the far corner<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJoe, in my coat pocket. \u00a0There was something about Clayton .. I remember putting it in my coat pocket. \u00a0It might be the letter from the Judge.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe got up and walked over to the coat and picked it up. He searched in all the pockets and then looked at Adam and shook his head,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAin\u2019t nothing here, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam looked surprised, and then shook his head slowly,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sure there was something that happened while we were in town. \u00a0Hoss and I were together. \u00a0No, we weren\u2019t. \u00a0I was in Roy\u2019s office.\u201d he pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes, \u201cLook, Joe, I swear there was something. I put -,\u201d he paused and then nodded as though to himself, but he reached out and clutched hold of Joe\u2019s arm, \u201cWanted posters. I saw two wanted poster for Clayton.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAnd put them in your pocket?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI guess I did, but I can\u2019t remember. \u00a0Maybe I lost them.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMaybe someone else found them.\u201d \u00a0Joe said quietly, and now he sighed, and folded his arms behind his head and surveyed the ceiling, \u201cMy guess is, Adam, that Clayton is in Virginia City. \u00a0 \u00a0I aim to find out.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, I don\u2019t think so,\u201d Adam replied rather more sharply than Joe had expected, \u201cI don\u2019t think that would be wise at all. \u00a0For one, you don\u2019t know what he did exactly to warrant a murder accusation to be levelled at him, and two, he may not want you to find him.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBut he\u2019s Ma\u2019s son, Adam. \u00a0He\u2019s my brother.\u201d \u00a0Joe replied, standing up and staring thoughtfully out of the window, \u201cIt may be a good idea to see him, before he gets round to seeing Ma. \u00a0I don\u2019t want her hurt, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, there\u2019s no reason why she should be, is there? \u00a0She doesn\u2019t know about him,\u201d he narrowed his eyes again \u201cDoes she?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAdam, she found the posters in your pocket. \u00a0She knows about Clayton, but she may not know about Clay.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam shook his head and bit down on his bottom lip, then he looked once more at Joe and recognised the determined stubborn look on the youths face,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJoe, I think it may be better if you talked this over with Ma. \u00a0See what she has to say first and act rationally on whatever she says.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIs that your advice?\u201d Joe replied coolly, as though expecting his brother to say something more original that that.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes, it is.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n They looked at one another for a long instant, and then Joe turned, and shook his head,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI prefer it my way,\u201d he said as he headed for the door, \u201cWith all due respect, Adam, I think I know what I\u2019m doing now.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam Cartwright watched his brother leave the room and the door close upon him. \u00a0More than once he cursed the fact that he had brought the posters home, that he was too weak to even get out of bed, that he couldn\u2019t prevent trouble. \u00a0And, with Joe, there was sure to be trouble.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 71<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Marie was horrified when she realised how long she had slept. \u00a0A wave of panic swept over her at the thought that something terrible had happened to Adam and they had been too anxious to come in and tell her. \u00a0She hurried from the bed, and ran to Adam\u2019s room, trying to tuck coils of loose hair into place with pins as she went but loosing most on the floor and arriving in the room looking quite dishevelled.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam was slipping back into sleep when she approached his bed, but opened his eyes and looked up at her rather blankly, before realisation dawned and awareness came to mind. \u00a0He smiled rather sleepily and took hold of the hand she held out to him,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201c\u2019Morning, Ma.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cGood morning, my darling, how are you feeling?\u201d \u00a0she leaned down and kissed his brow, and a wave of thankfulness swept over her. \u00a0She sunk down onto the chair by his bed, still holding his hand tightly, and letting her eyes roam over his face, \u201cYou look so much better. \u00a0I woke up just now and had the most awful fear come over me. \u00a0Thank God you are alright, thank God.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI had -\u201d Adam paused and licked his lips, he was so tired, and longed to slip back into sleep, perhaps hopeful that sleep would bring him the dreams that meant brief moments with Ben, \u201cI had dreams, about Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe thought you did, Adam, we heard you call out to him at times.\u201d she replied softly, and felt the tears prick her eyelashes.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI always felt that it was my fault, you know?\u201d he glanced at her, then looked away as though ashamed that he was speaking this way, \u201cI wanted to see the horses, and Pa wanted to stay home to work on the ledgers because he wanted to send me to college. Ma, I always thought I was to blame for what happened to Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDo you still think so?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI – I don\u2019t know. \u00a0I don\u2019t feel so guilty now, but I still have to accept my responsibility for what happened.\u201d he darted another quick glance in her direction, \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Ma, I\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAdam,\u201d she folded her other hand over his, and leaned in towards him, a tendril of hair slipped across her face, giving her a quite girlish look in the shadows, \u201cI don\u2019t want you to blame yourself anymore. \u00a0You have driven yourself to the brink of exhaustion trying to prove that you are so sorry for what happened. \u00a0I could almost say, being Catholic raised, that you were doing penance, an expiation for your sins, but, my dear, there is no point in doing this anymore. \u00a0You are a wonderful person, Adam, a man of whom your father would be so proud. \u00a0Don\u2019t, please don\u2019t, punish yourself anymore in this way. \u00a0Do you promise?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPa would still be here if it weren\u2019t for me, Ma,\u201d Adam exclaimed, \u201cAnd he put himself in the line of fire to save me.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJust as you would now if you were in the same situation with Hoss or Joe. \u00a0Would you not, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d he frowned, and struggled to remember something important. \u00a0What had happened to his mind, everything seemed so fogged. \u00a0Of course, he was tired, very tired. \u00a0\u201cJoe. \u00a0Where is Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI think he and Hoss have left for work.\u201d she smiled and squeezed his hand, \u201cI never got to see them before they left. \u00a0They let me sleep on.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou took some papers from my coat \u00a0pocket?\u201d he looked at her anxiously, scanning her face with his eyes, seeing the fear, the doubt and the momentary confusion fall across her face.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes, your coat was wet and \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMa, you saw the posters?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes, I saw them.\u201d Marie\u2019s face went several shades paler, \u201cI saw what they said about Clayton. \u00a0I suppose that is why he has changed his name to Clay Stafford.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAnd what?\u201d she looked surprised, and then shook her head at him, \u201cWhat\u2019s on your mind, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know, my mind seems clogged up with fog just now. \u00a0There was something I thought you may know about Clay. \u00a0His whereabouts for instance?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know where he is,\u201d Marie said quickly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJoe thinks he knows.\u201d \u00a0Adam replied, his lips thinning, \u201cHasn\u2019t he seen you? \u00a0Hasn\u2019t he spoken to you about it?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d Marie\u2019s voice trailed away, and she looked at him fearfully, \u201cHe must have seen the papers, they were in my room. \u00a0But, I didn\u2019t say anything about Clay being in town.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDo you think he could be there?\u201d Adam asked, looking at her intensely now, and seeing from her face that yes, she did indeed think her son was there. \u201cIn which case, you had better send Hoss into town to get Joe back.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He sunk back into the pillows. \u00a0How hard it was to talk now, difficult to be rational, difficult to be logical. \u00a0He wanted, needed, to sleep. \u00a0He felt her hands release his own, her lips on his brow, and then he was drifting back into sleep, thankfully, like returning to the womb from whence he was born.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 72<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHop Sing, have you seen Joe and Hoss?\u201d Marie enquired as she hurried through the dining room into the kitchen, buttoning up her sleeves as she did so, she looked up at him with anxious eyes and got the usual big smile of welcome that she received from him every morning,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cGood morning, Missy Catlight,\u201d Hops Sing replied, taking his attention from peeling some vegetables, \u201cMistuh Hoss go to west field, he say fencing to be checked befoah wintah get too bad. \u00a0 Mistuh Joe he say he go into town on business. \u00a0Mighty urgent business I think.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhy do you think that, Hop Sing?\u201d \u00a0Marie stopped buttoning her sleeves to pour herself some coffee. \u00a0She still felt groggy from sleeping too long, and missing breakfast.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe go out of house like skylocket. \u00a0Pshew – up and gone. \u00a0 Take hoss and ride fast out of heah. \u00a0Mistuh Hoss not happy and say he take too many chance. \u00a0More wain today so not good.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Marie nodded slowly, and drank the coffee gratefully. \u00a0It was strong and dark and bitter. \u00a0She drank standing up, almost afraid to sit in case she got too comfortable. \u00a0Perhaps she should eat something, perhaps she should not, but just go.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHop Sing, make sure that Adam gets his medicine and also some food. \u00a0He\u2019s really needing to eat now and build himself up. \u00a0To get strong again.\u201d she picked up a bread roll absent mindedly, and hurried out of the room.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWheah Missy go? \u00a0What I say to Mistuh Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cTell him that I\u2019ve gone into town, he\u2019ll know what I mean. Thank you, Hop Sing.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hop Sing smiled and bobbed his head as though he also understood what it was all about, and returned to preparing the food. \u00a0He decided to make Adam some chicken noodle soup.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Marie left the house and made her way to the stable, where she saddled her horse as quickly as possible. \u00a0 A light drizzle was beginning to fall that was annoying, but not too heavy. \u00a0She had made up her mind now anyway, and a little rain was not going to stop her going into town. \u00a0What she was going to do when she got there, however, she did not know. \u00a0She had decided that she would have to wait and see how far things had gone between Joe and Clay and act on that. \u00a0 At the thought of seeing Clay her heart did a somersault and her stomach tightened into knots.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In his room Adam heard the sound of a horse galloping out of the yard. \u00a0He half stirred, opened his eyes and then, with a sigh, closed them again before dropping off back to sleep.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201c\u2019Morning, Joe, how\u2019s Adam ?\u201d Roy Coffee stood on the sidewalk and smiled over at the young man who dismounted and tethered Cochise at the hitching rail by the sheriff\u2019s office.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s come through the worse, Roy, thanks. \u00a0Er – how are things \u00a0here in town? \u00a0Quiet, are they?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAs can be,\u201d Roy grinned, and his eyes twinkled, \u201cI\u2019m real pleased to hear that news about young Adam. \u00a0 We were all a mite worried here, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes. \u00a0Well, I think we all were, Roy.\u201d Joe glanced around nervously. \u00a0The drizzle had stopped and a miserable sun was struggling to warm the day up and dry the puddles. \u00a0It was not succeeding very well.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSo, Joseph, what are you doing in town to-day? \u00a0I thought you\u2019d be staying up at the ranch house to make sure Adam didn\u2019t start getting up and into mischief again too soon.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh, I doubt if he\u2019ll be doing that for a while yet, Roy.\u201d \u00a0 he cast another look around and seeing Roy looking at him with some suspicion, he nodded and grinned at him, touched the brim of his hat and bade him goodbye, assuring the sheriff that he had some important errands to see to that could not wait.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Roy watched the young man with a slight frown on his face. \u00a0He wondered if Joe ever would realise how transparent he was to folk. \u00a0It was obvious that he was up to something.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe stopped first at the Telegraph Depot and was rewarded with a reply from Judge Warden, addressed to Adam Cartwright with an Urgent marked on top.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI would have brought it to the Ponderosa, Joe, but when I heard how sick Adam was I thought it better to wait and see how things fell, you know how it is?\u201d the clerk muttered as Joe slipped the envelope into his pocket.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Charley was sweeping the sidewalk out side the saloon. \u00a0Rain caused mud, and mud traipsed into the saloon created mess. \u00a0Charley was not a great one for mess about the place. \u00a0It liked it neat and tidy, which was a bit of shame because most of his clientele didn\u2019t even notice.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Seeing Charley brought the picture of a pretty girl with flaming copper hair to Joe\u2019s mind. \u00a0 He strolled over and nodded to Charley who nodded back, glanced at the young mans boots and frowned. \u00a0Ignoring him, Joe entered the saloon, and looked about him.<\/p>\n Lil was the first to see him, and her face beamed with pleasure as she rushed up to him and threw her arms about his neck,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJoe, I was so pleased to hear about Adam. \u00a0How is he? \u00a0Is he really going to be alright now?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Joe replied, disentangling himself from her arms. \u00a0 It was like being hugged by a giant squid. \u00a0\u201cHe\u2019s going to be fine. \u00a0Paul thought he wasn\u2019t going to last the night out, but he recovered pretty well. You know what my big brothers like, Lil, full of surprises. I think he even surprises himself sometimes.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI said a really big prayer to the Man Upstairs for him last night. \u00a0You looked so scared when you came in for the doc.\u201d Lil cried, almost breathless from her relief and being able to talk to Joe about it. \u00a0She frowned, \u201cYou don\u2019t look very happy, Joe. \u00a0Is anything worrying you? \u00a0Are you sure that Adam\u2019s going to be alright? \u00a0You aren\u2019t lying to me, are you?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAs if I\u2019d lie to you, Lil.\u201d Joe said, gentling his voice now for he knew only too well how much Lil thought about his brother, \u201cIs Miss Joy hereabouts, Lil?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMiss Joy?\u201d Lil laughed a soft sultry chuckle deep in her throat, \u201cOh, you sound just like that new feller that\u2019s been hanging about lately. \u00a0 She\u2019s with him now, as a matter of fact. \u00a0I think he took her out someplace. Best ask Charley, he\u2019d know where his little girl has gone.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat new feller is this, Lil?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBuy me a drink and I\u2019ll tell you,\u201d she teased.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cTo early for that, unless it\u2019s a coffee,\u201d Joe replied, forcing himself to smile at her while all the time he was itching to get out and find Joy.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHave it your own way, then. \u00a0Remember when you came in to get the Doc for Adam? He was talking to a guy at the table. \u00a0It was him, he was the new feller.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe frowned, he only had a hazy memory of who was around at the time, as his focus was on Paul. He shook his head,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSo, what\u2019s this guys\u2019 name?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh, it\u2019s Clay.\u201d Lil smiled brightly, \u201cClay Stafford.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 74<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joy Marsden lifted her skirts clear of the mud as she crossed the street and smiled gratefully at Clay as he took her elbow and steered her away from some of the deeper ruts in the road that had collected the rain water. \u00a0 She was, Clay thought, quite a charming girl as well as being one of the prettiest he had seen in a long time. \u00a0He had always preferred blondes, but Joy\u2019s hair was so stunning that any man would have been a fool not to notice it.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHere we are,\u201d Joy said, shaking her head and allowing several corkscrew curls to tumble across her brow, \u201cThey have really pleasant coffee here.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Clay smiled and nodded, and pushed open the door for her to enter. \u00a0The warmth of the room gushed around them, and in silence they made their way over to a corner far from the window. \u00a0She sat down, smiled at him, and waited for him to take his seat.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He was a handsome man, there was no denying that fact. \u00a0The slim moustache he had grown gave him an older air, and defined his mouth charmingly. \u00a0 He had an elegance about him too, in the way he moved, that was \u00a0uncommon in most cowboys. \u00a0That is, if he were a cowboy.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMr Stafford?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes, Miss Joy?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat exactly do you do for a living?\u201d she smiled, and fluttered her eyelashes, \u201cI\u2019m asking because I find \u00a0you rather a curious being, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Clay laughed, he had fine shaped teeth, and threw his head back when he laughed. \u00a0She liked that,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou are a strange girl, Miss Joy. \u00a0I don\u2019t know of any woman who would call me a curious being, but you.\u201d \u00a0he beckoned the waitress and ordered two coffees.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s because I\u2019m not the common kind of woman, you know.\u201d she replied without any coyness, \u201cMy father may not appear much to your eyes, but let me assure \u00a0you, Mr Stafford, I have had an education second to none. \u00a0Thanks to my fathers father, he being Irish you know, and my dear mother.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSo, your grandfather being Irish, enabled you to get a good education? \u00a0Well, my grandfather was not Irish but I consider myself well educated.\u201d Clay smiled, and paid the waitress some money as she set down the coffees.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI knew you were,\u201d she replied, \u201cBreeding tells. \u00a0That is why I thought you could not possibly be just an ordinary cowboy. \u00a0Are you a cowboy?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNot at all. I know one end from the other, but that is just about all. I have no desire to ride a horse and chase cows all day long.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSo, are you a professional gambler? \u00a0You did very well at the cards last night I noticed.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou did?\u201d Clay smiled slowly, and looked at Joy who appeared so na\u00efve and innocent, \u201cWell, I would prefer to be such than to be a cowboy. How does that suit you?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDo you consider it a gentleman\u2019s profession?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI really don\u2019t know what a gentleman\u2019s profession is,\u201d he drawled, and then leaned forward, \u201cTell me, how was it that an Irish grandfather and \u00a0your mother managed to get you to school?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh, because my grandfather was wealthy and he loved my mother. \u00a0She married my father, God bless her, and grandfather said he would keep his money in the bank for the child. \u00a0That was me. \u00a0Then when I was old enough the money paid for my education. I\u2019ve only been here a short while you know.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI think you did mention it,\u201d Clay drawled and leaned back in his chair. \u00a0He felt restless. \u00a0The kind of feeling a person can get before a storm when the hairs on their arms stand on end and there are butterflies in the stomach.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n They slipped into a relaxed banter, pleasant and unassuming. \u00a0After a little while Joy felt she was quite in love with this handsome stranger and Clay felt he just had to get away, as soon as possible. \u00a0 He pulled out his watch and opened it, checked the time, put on a worried frown, and snapped the lid shut.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI am sorry, I\u2019m late for an appointment,\u201d he said hurriedly, \u201cPlease excuse me.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She smiled, thanked him prettily and watched as he left the coffee house. \u00a0She sighed deeply, and felt her stomach turn over. \u00a0This was definitely love.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI wouldn\u2019t bother if I were you, dear,\u201d the waitress muttered as she came to collect the cups, \u201cHis kind aren\u2019t the settling down sort.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joy said nothing, she was young and na\u00efve. \u00a0Finishing school had not taught her lessons about love and broken hearts. \u00a0Those lessons one learns from experience only.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe walked along the sidewalk with his heart pounding with every step. \u00a0Charley had told him that his girl, Joy, and the man referred to as Clay, had gone out for a walk. \u00a0A walk? \u00a0Joe felt a turmoil of emotions, chiefly amongst them the stirring of a deep seated insecurity that revealed itself as a possessive jealousy. \u00a0 Those he loved he did so deeply, and having lost the perfect father so young in his life, he could not bear the thought of losing anyone else.<\/p>\n When he was small he would often go into his mother\u2019s room and ask her in his childish way, \u201cMa, why did Pa leave me?\u201d \u00a0 \u201cWas I naughty, Ma?\u201d \u00a0 \u201cDidn\u2019t Pa love me, was I a bad boy?\u201d \u00a0 and Marie would cuddle him, and tell him stories about his Pa to prove to him that he was a most loved little boy, the most precious little boy, and that sometimes life can be so cruel in taking away those we love the most. \u201cBut you won\u2018t ever leave me, will you, Momma?\u201d and she assured him she would not, because she loved him best of all.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Now he thought back to the night of the storm, when he had felt this surge of emotion for his brother, this mysterious person who had suddenly intruded upon their lives and was now so close to hand. \u00a0 A brother, son of Marie, someone to love and someone else who would love him. \u00a0 He had ridden out there without thought of anyone else but Clay, and himself.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n So much had happened since David Carter had told them about Clayton. \u00a0Now here he was stomping down the street wanting to thump him because he had gone for a walk with the girl Joe was interested in getting to know better. \u00a0 Not only that, there was a bigger threat, one that had to be faced, because whether Clay was his brother or not, he was a wanted man, a murderer. \u00a0How could he share his Momma with a man like that?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJoe?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He jumped and turned to see Joy Marsden tip toeing her way through the mud towards him. \u00a0She was smiling at him as though only too happy to see him on such a dismal day,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cGood morning, Joy. \u00a0I thought you were already busy,\u201d he said with a hint of cynicism in his voice.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNot at all, Joe. \u00a0I was having a drink of coffee with a friend of mine, that was all. You look a regular cross patch today, what\u2019s upset you?\u201d \u00a0she frowned and surveyed him in a comical way, and then she smiled, which brought a smile to his face, \u201cSee, Joe, you really are so handsome when you smile. \u00a0 We were pleased to know that Adam was well again.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe isn\u2019t well again, he\u2019s on the way to becoming well again.\u201d Joe said, but with a smile and a little teasing tone to his voice which made her laugh. \u00a0Her world was a simple one, and her theory on life an innocent one \u2026 just accept people as they are and they\u2019ll like you. \u00a0It was important to Joy to be liked by everyone she knew.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJoe, you should meet my new friend. \u00a0He\u2019s very handsome, like you, you know. \u00a0He comes from New Orleans and is really very charming.\u201d and prattling on in such a manner she slipped her arm through Joe\u2019s and strolled along through town quite merrily.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n As she chattered Joe thought about Clay, and about his mother, their mother. \u00a0He needed to know what Clay had done to warrant a Wanted poster to be put out on his head. \u00a0He had to know in order to protect Marie.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chpater 75<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Marie was bitterly regretting not having taken the time to fix up the buggy instead of saddling her horse. \u00a0Although the rain had stopped there was a chill in the air, and the ground underfoot was slippery. \u00a0It meant that there was no point in trying to get the horse to go too fast because of the possible danger of him loosing his footing.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She was a skilled horsewoman and knew \u00a0how to handle her animal. \u00a0The horse could read her strengths as well as her weaknesses from her hold on the reins, the firm grip of her fingers and ability with a flexible wrist sent him messages that kept him in good control even over the ground that he disliked and distrusted.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She kept her head down against the cool breeze, and urged the horse to go at a steady canter. \u00a0She noticed as she rode along that the rain must have been more heavy than she had realised for little trickles of water ran down the sides of the hills onto the road, forming wide puddles across it.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Her thoughts were of Joe, her little boy, her child grown to manhood too quickly. \u00a0How fast the time had flown. \u00a0Perhaps she had not realised how quickly until David had come courting, making her aware of her own loss of \u00a0youth. \u00a0Her desire to be loved was strong, and she knew with hindsight that David had sensed that more strongly that he could sense her love for him. \u00a0 Perhaps it was because she had loved one weak man who had left her and died far from her, and then she had married a very strong man who had been all and everything to her, but had also left her.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe was her world. \u00a0Now she wondered whether it was because of Clay that she had loved Joe so much, had exclaimed and praised aloud his first steps, his first words. \u00a0Had been tolerant when he was naughty, had laughed at his mischief, had chided Ben for scolding him when he was bad. \u00a0 Because of Clay, the child she had thought to be dead, everything about Joe was doubly precious. \u00a0 But could that now all change?<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lil was a good hearted woman, old in the ways of the world, young in years and heart. \u00a0When Joe and Joy entered the saloon together she smiled, and shook her head. \u00a0The youth of today, she sighed, walks out with one fine gentleman and walks back in with another. She was fond of Joe, fond of Hoss too come to that, but she loved Adam. \u00a0The thought of the man in black brought a cloud of despondency over her, and when she heard Joy laughing at something Joe had said, she had to fight to suppress the jealousy that touched her heart.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cA glass of something, Charley,\u201d she asked with a drawn out sigh, and stared at \u00a0herself in the mirror while she waited for him to pour it out.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She didn\u2019t think she was that bad looking, not really. \u00a0She wasn\u2019t a classy girl, lacked education, but that wasn\u2019t everything in life, or was it? \u00a0She looked at Joy through the mirror and saw how she playfully tapped Joe on the cheek and laughed, and Lil could not help but release another long drawn out sigh.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNot happy, my dear?\u201d Charley asked, handing out a glass of sweet sherry.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh, it isn\u2019t that, Charley. \u00a0I just feel – \u201c she shrugged, she didn\u2019t really know how she felt, but glanced up at the mirror to see Joy and Joe again, \u201cHow long is your daughter going to be here, Charley?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNot long, dearie. \u00a0 She\u2019s finished her schooling now as you know, and will be going to work in San Francisco as a Governess to a lady in Nobs Hill in a few weeks time.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cA Governess, Charley? \u00a0But I thought she had gone to finishing school to be a lady?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Charley laughed, not unkindly. He was a bluff, good hearted man from solid Irish stock. He picked up a cloth and began to polish a glass,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMy old dad came from Ireland in his youth. \u00a0Now, he\u2019d often tell me he had kissed the Blarney Stone and I reckon, seeing how he got on in life, that he had practically swallowed the thing! \u00a0My Ma was an Irish gal too, from County Cork, and I was their only child. \u00a0When I married my Eileen my mother, God bless her, had died long since, and there was something about Eileen my old Da loved. \u00a0Now, I\u2019ve had to work hard all my life, and I\u2019ve no airs and graces to my name, as you know, but my Eileen and my Da they wanted our girl to have the best chance in life possible.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSo she\u2019s had an education, and works in a saloon, and will soon be a Governess.\u201d Lil frowned, and shrugged, \u201cI\u2019ve had no education, Charley, and work in a saloon , but I guess I\u2019ll never be good enough to be a Governess.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMy dear, look at my lovely girl? \u00a0Pretty as a picture, and where she gets it from I don\u2019t know. \u00a0However, she\u2019s a simple hearted girl, and the finishing school she went to catered for girls like her, not for young ladies who go to Europe to be educated later on. Oh no, my Joy has an education, but sufficient for her needs. \u00a0She\u2019s here to be with me awhile, that\u2019s all. \u00a0She doesn\u2019t need to work, has my Da\u2019s allowance to keep her going at the moment.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat if she marries ? \u00a0She could marry Joe, you know, and become another Mrs Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMy dear, Joe Cartwright is as sharp as a needle and as bright as a button. \u00a0He\u2019s young and likes a pretty face, and he likes someone who can make him laugh, just like that Mr Stafford. \u00a0 But when it gets to marriage ..\u201d Charley shook his head, \u201cNo, Joy will make a fine Governess, the children will love her, the Missus will hate her, and God help the husband.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lil smiled and sipped at her sherry. \u00a0Suddenly her day had brightened, and when she heard Joe\u2019s chuckle she found herself laughing along with him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Clay Stafford was an able horseman. \u00a0He had ridden horses since an infant and enjoyed it. \u00a0Leaving Joy to return home alone, he found his horse, ,saddled it and decided to ride out of town towards the borders of the Ponderosa. \u00a0There were beautiful views there and he loved to look down at the lake and over at the mountains beyond it with the pine trees clinging to their side.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The well worn road was slushy from the recent rains. \u00a0 His horse, a powerful roan, stretched out long legs and enjoyed the clean air with a zest that Clay found invigorating. \u00a0He pulled down his hat and lowered it down to his eyes, bowed his head, and urged the horse onwards.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Neither rider noticed the other approaching them. \u00a0The hoof beats were deadened by the dampness of the soil, and the wind in their ears deafened them to the sound. \u00a0 With their heads lowered against the wind they saw nothing but their horse and the immediate section of road beyond its nose. \u00a0It was left to the horses to take evasive action. \u00a0Both reared up to avoid a collision. \u00a0Clays horse pawed the air, danced on it\u2019s back legs a little and then landed on all fours with his rider still in the saddle.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Marie\u2019s horse did a neat piroutte, then reared up, tossing his head back in alarm and his eyes rolling in their sockets. \u00a0Marie gave a cry, felt the reins jerked from her hands, and slid from the saddle, falling with a thud onto the ground.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n For a moment she remained on her back, dazed and stunned. \u00a0A strong arm circled beneath her shoulders and gently raised her into a sitting position, and a deep voice was asking her, repeatedly, if she were alright.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She swallowed, coughed, and shook her head. \u00a0Then she blinked, and looked up into the face of her rescuer. \u00a0She looked up into the face of her son.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 76<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 58<\/p>\n <\/p>\n How to hold this moment in time. Like a bubble one dare not burst held in the palm of one\u2019s hand. What to say? What to do?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Marie remained seated staring up at him while her mind reeled back and forth. How like Jean he was, enough for her to have recognised him anywhere. How like Joe, enough to know that they were blood kin. Oh this most precious moment, what was she to do now?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m so sorry, Madam, so very sorry,\u201d Clay was saying, his eyes looking earnestly, anxiously into her face, \u201cI wasn\u2019t looking where I was going. I didn\u2019t see you. I can\u2019t apologise enough. Please say you aren\u2019t hurt? Can I get you some water?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, it\u2019s – it\u2019s alright.\u201d Marie raised her hand to her mouth, she felt physically sick. Was it the fall or seeing him. \u201cWater, yes, please.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He left her and hurried to the horse and pulled away the canteen, hoping that there was water still in it. She accepted it gratefully, smiled at him and raised it to her lips.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI had other things on my mind,\u201d Clay was saying, \u201cand with the way the weather has been I didn\u2019t look ahead as I should have done. You aren\u2019t hurt, are you?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOnly my pride,\u201d she replied and passed him back the canteen with a smile, \u201cCould you help me up?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n His hand in hers was firm and strong, but gentle. His arm came beneath her shoulders and was likewise firm and strong. He had about him an air of authority and self confidence. It was something that Jean had lacked in many ways, but then, this young man was already older than Jean had been when he had gone from her life.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She brushed herself down and grimaced at the sight of the mud on her gloves. What the rest of her looked like she dreaded to think and there was obviously little point now in continuing on into town. She looked at Clay and put out her hand,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m Marie Cartwright from the Ponderosa,\u201d she said and looked him straight in the eyes.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m Clay Stafford,\u201d he replied and smiled, and shook her hand in his.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Marie was the one to look away and cast her head down in order that the tears in her eyes could not be seen by the young man, She made a little more fuss about the state of her riding habit, in order to try and put together some coherent thought. This was such an important moment in her life, in their lives, that she was terrified that she would say the wrong thing and destroy the magic forever.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n For indeed, it was like magic, this son of hers so long lost and now suddenly thrust back into her life. She glanced over at him as he busied himself putting the stopper on the canteen and walking over to his horse. He was certainly grown into a charmingly handsome man, and he walked with confidence and manliness. He was everything she would have wanted her son to be, and she felt her heart swell with pride, and then tighten with fear once again. She could lose him again, as easily as that, and so how could she keep him? Should she just say \u201cClay, I\u2019m your mother,\u201d and see what he would do? How would he react to that statement? She opened her mouth, and tried to say the words but nothing happened apart from a rather impolite croak.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Clay Stafford took his time putting the canteen away and made a pretence of calming his horse down and checking to make sure he was sound of wind and limb. So, this was Marie Cartwright, the woman he had thought about so much over the past day or so. Was it possible that she was really his mother? How old could she be now? He did a quick tally up of his age and her age at the time of birth and then cast a sidelong glance at her again. For a woman of that maturity she was quite lovely.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Should he ask her outright. \u201cEr, excuse me, Madam, but are you my mother?\u201d He bit his bottom lip and shook his head slightly, that would never do, not in a million years. She may not have an inkling of an idea that they were related. What kind of shock would that be, and if she were, indeed, his mother he wanted them to get along well. She was, indeed, a lovely looking woman and if she were all the things people in town claimed her to be, then she was a woman worthy of respect, and even, perhaps, his love.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n They turned towards each other, and smiled. Marie cleared her throat,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, there\u2019s little point in my riding into town now, Mr Stafford ..\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPlease, call me Clay. After what has happened, I don\u2019t think we need be so formal, do you?\u201d he smiled, charmingly, and his eyes lit up, just as Joe\u2019s would have done in just this situation.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s kind of you, Clay.\u201d she replied, and felt an intense desire to rush into his arms and hug him close. \u201cWhere you going anywhere in particular?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cTo tell you the truth, Mrs Cartwright, I was riding to the border of your land. There\u2019s some lovely views there, and on a day like this, I would have liked to have seen them .\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s interesting, Mr .. Clay, most people don\u2019t think of views on a day of drizzle and cloud. Look, why not come home with me. It would be the least I can do in the circumstances.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He looked at her and then looked away. He didn\u2019t want to appear too eager, he frowned, \u201cBut, I understood that your son was gravely ill. I wouldn\u2019t like to intrude at a time like this.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Marie cast down her eyes and nodded, realising that she had, perhaps, appeared too anxious, too earnest in her invitation, and it must have appeared callous to have been so forthcoming to a stranger, when Adam was known to have been so ill.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes, Adam has been very ill, very ill indeed. Thankfully he looks set to recover now.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThen you must all be very relieved,\u201d Clay smiled and looked as though he were about to vault back into the saddle and return to town.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI know he would be pleased to have some company apart from ours,\u201d she stepped towards him, as though to physically prevent his leaving her, \u201cHoss and Joe are both out for the day, and Adam would enjoy talking to you.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cReally? Well, I don\u2019t know about that, after all, if he\u2019s been so ill, would he really appreciate my company? I\u2019m not the most interesting of persons to have around.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Marie felt her heart drop and she thought he was making excuses not to come back to the house with her. Why? Had she sounded like one of those desperately lonely women who seize on strangers for their company? And he was right, Adam would no doubt be far from interested in talking to a complete stranger. She looked at him as he smiled at her, but had yet to get into the saddle,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHop Sing makes an excellent cup of coffee,\u201d she heard herself say, with a smile.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Clay Stafford thought that she was one of the most attractive women he had ever met. If this really were his mother, what was the truth behind all the stories his grandmother de Marigney had told him about her. So little information had been given him about his mother that it was hard to know what was true and what was false. He bowed his head and glanced over his shoulder, then he smiled as he looked back at her,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, now I am partial to a good cup of coffee.\u201d he laughed then, as though he hadn\u2019t realised just how much he had wanted this opportunity to be with her, and how anxious he had been in case it had not come about after all.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n They rode together towards the Ponderosa, following the track above the lake. At one point Marie drew her horse to a halt, and Clay paused, to glance down to where she was pointing,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThis was one of my husband\u2019s favourite views. He used to say it was like a view of heaven itself. On a sunny day it is beautiful, truly beautiful. On a day like today it looks mystical, shrouded in cloud, don\u2019t you think so?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI think your husband was right, Mrs Cartwright,\u201d Clay replied, as his eyes swept along the wide vista of hills, pine trees and lake. \u201cIt is beautiful. He must have been quite a man to have realised such an empire as this, it could not have been much of an easy task to have created it.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIndeed not, and once created, it has to be kept safe, protected. The Ponderosa has its enemies.\u201d she frowned slightly, and turned her horse\u2019s head away, back towards the ranch house.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n They rode in silence for a while, at a steady and comfortable trot. The sun was still struggling to peek out from grey clouds. Both riders were searching for the things to say that would keep everything safe from falling apart. Both felt vulnerable, searching for what they were afraid to admit to the other. Marie cleared her throat again,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAdam and Hoss were Ben\u2019s sons. He was married twice before me, you see?\u201d she glanced over at him and saw his nod, and noticed the keen interest in his eyes, \u201cI had two sons of my own. One, my first by my first husband, died when only a few weeks old. Joseph is my second son, Ben\u2019s son.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n There, she had thrown the ball into his court. She had remembered Hop Sing telling them about the young man who had made enquiries about a certain grave on their land. Perhaps he would put two and two together, maybe he would ponder on what she had said and say, \u2018Mother, I am that son you thought dead\u2026\u201d she closed her eyes and when she opened them again was too frightened to look at him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Clay said nothing. This was a statement given so voluntarily and honestly, that it caught him by surprise. Yet she was so sure her child had died. Why would she say that? Had she forgotten how she had abandoned him all that time ago, left him and walked away. Robbed him of her love, and the love of his father? He looked away from her, and instead looked at the ranch house that was looming ahead of them .<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 78<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Clay dismounted slowly, while his eyes took in his surroundings. \u00a0He tethered the horse beside Marie\u2019s and all the time his eyes were absorbing the details of the house and barns and stables. \u00a0The whole setting of the house was perfect. \u00a0He smiled, if one had to build a log cabin anywhere, this was the perfect place.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDid your husband build this?\u201d he asked Marie, who was walking slightly ahead of him, and she turned and smiled,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes, with the help of his sons and Hop Sing, his friend, our friend.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh yes,\u201d Clay frowned, and remembered the man who had given him directions to Jean\u2019s grave. \u00a0He bowed his head and took off his hat, the following few moments, he felt, were going to be very interesting.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hop Sing came to the door as Marie pushed it open and gave her his customary wide smile. \u00a0His affection for all in the house was always heartwarming, and since Ben\u2019s death, he had been a stalwart companion and ally.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMister Adam sleeping. \u00a0He take medicine and eat well. \u00a0Soon be much bettuh\u201d he turned his beaming smile to Marie\u2019s companion, \u201cAh, you I see othah day? \u00a0You find grave all okay, I hope?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Clay swallowed involuntarily, and nodded, and twisted his hat round and round between his fingers,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes, I did, thank you.\u201d he said in a slightly deeper voice.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, yes,\u201d Marie said quietly, and looked at him full in the face, \u201cHop Sing said someone had gone to visit Jean\u2019s grave. \u00a0Jean was my first husband.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Clay gave her a quizzical frown, the kind of look Joe gave her when he had done something wrong and was trying to get out of being punished. The \u2018oh did I really do that, do I really need a tanning?\u2019<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cClay, let us be honest with one another right from the start, shall we?\u201d Marie took a deep breath and could feel the colour rising to her cheeks, she drew herself erect and squared her shoulders, \u201cDid you \u00a0know that Jean was my husband? \u00a0Why did you visit the grave?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t you already know, Mrs Cartwright?\u201d he asked, and dropped his eyelids, fumbled again with his hat, then looked at her straight, \u201cHe was my father. \u00a0One of the few things I was told about him by my grandparents, was that he was buried here.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAnd did your grand parents not tell you that I was also here?\u201d Marie asked in a slightly wavering voice.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, Ma\u2019am, they did not. \u00a0You were – not really mentioned.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Marie bowed her head. \u00a0She hadn\u2019t realised until then that she was crying.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, of course not, I don\u2019t suppose they would ..\u201d she mumbled.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Clay dithered, he looked at Hop Sing who had stepped forward to put a kindly hand on Marie\u2019s arm, Hop Sing in turn gave the young man an appraising look before turning to Marie,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cCome,\u201d he said as tenderly as a father talking to his child, \u201cMother and son, must talk now together.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Clay stepped forward, and put the hat down on the bureau, then took hold of Marie\u2019s hands, and enclosed them in both of his own.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI never knew,\u201d he said softly, \u201cthat I had such a lovely mother.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Through her tears Marie managed a smile, looked up into his face and saw the warmth in the dark eyes,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI never knew, I never knew, Clay, that you were alive. \u00a0They told me \u2026 they told me \u2026\u201d and she struggled to breathe, to get the words out, and it was only when he folded her in his arms and held her close, and she could put her arms around him, that the words burst out in sobs against his chest, \u201cOh Clay, I thought you were dead.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In the kitchen Hop Sing began to make coffee, he was smiling to himself, happy for the moment, but at the back of his mind he knew there were dark clouds gathering as there would always be when changes are made in a family. \u00a0 Wisdom came from within a warm loving heart, and Hop Sing knew that this family were going to be riding through stormy waters before they reached the conclusion of this particular matter.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 79<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s no good,\u201d Joy pursed her lips and carefully smudged some red colouring over them,\u201cthis morning I thought I was in love with that nice Mr Stafford.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAnd now?\u201d Lil smiled and passed her young friend a bright scarlet feather on a diamante clasp, which rather clashed with Joy\u2019s hair, but looked rather fetching none the less.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNow, I find myself thinking that Little Joe is wonderful. I love his eyes, and his smile. \u00a0He is just about the best package a girl could have – do you think this goes with my hair?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou look lovely,\u201d Lil assured her, \u201cApart from anything else, Joe is rich.\u201d and she laughed, seeing from Joy\u2019s face that yes, this did weigh well in Joe\u2019s favour.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThere now, you have to admit, Lil, considering how much you feel about Adam, that if he were poor would you feel the same way about him?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lil looked at her own reflection in the mirror and then lowered her eyes. Oh yes, she thought, if Adam Cartwright were dirt poor I\u2019d love him more than ever, because then, perhaps he would see me for who I really am, and perhaps, he would love me too.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe was whistling under his breath as he galloped his way home. \u00a0Joy was just about the sweetest girl he had met in a long time. \u00a0He had, he thought, wiped out any feelings she may have been harbouring for \u2018that nice Mr Stafford\u2019 and replaced them once again with feelings solely for himself. \u00a0 He felt happy and relaxed. He had the letter for Adam in his pocket from the Judge, and he had decided that meeting Clay could wait, he had much preferred his meeting with Joy.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hoss rubbed his hands together, and then wiped them down the back of his pants. \u00a0 It had been hard going getting the calf out of the morass of weed and muck it had found itself in. \u00a0Good thing he had decided to give the herd a check over, otherwise old mother cow would have been fretting over a dead calf for sure. \u00a0 He tugged down the brim of his hat, and returned to Chubb who was waiting for him on the slope of the hill.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHey, Chubb, my bones are cold. \u00a0Let\u2019s go home and check on Adam. \u00a0I didn\u2019t feel right leaving him thar by hisself.\u201d \u00a0he mounted into the saddle, and turned the horse towards the Ponderosa, \u201cGuess he\u2019ll be right glad to hear how well things are doing here, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam stirred and sighed. \u00a0No one looking down on him would think he was currently being pursued by two bears and a wolf. \u00a0He was running as fast as he could but not getting anywhere and all the time the creatures were getting closer and closer. \u00a0Drool was dripping from their fangs and their eyes were blood red. \u00a0He could hear Hoss yelling out something about not being anybody\u2019s dinner but he was too breathless to speak.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hop Sing looked down at him, and smiled, how peaceful he looked, just as he would have looked years back when a child. \u00a0He leaned down and shook the sleeping man by the shoulder. \u00a0 Adam turned onto his back, and squinted up at him, and blinked<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAny bears about, Hop Sing?\u201d he asked in a the midst of a stifled yawn.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, only a man, Clay Stafford.\u201d came the soft reply.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Marie and Clay sat on the settee, the coffee \u00a0utensils were laid out all before them. \u00a0He held one of her hands in his own, and was staring down at the coffee pot as though he hated it. \u00a0Marie had asked him to tell her about his life, and he was now trying to work out just how to begin. \u00a0He took a deep breath, probably more honest to start right at the beginning\u2026and so, he did.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 80<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou should know,\u201d Clay began, \u201cthat from as far back as I can remember I have been told that you abandoned my father and myself for \u2026 for someone else.\u201d his dark brows knitted together at the sharp intake of breath from Marie, and he shook his head slowly, as though even now he couldn\u2019t understand how she could have done something so cruel, \u201cMy Grandmother would seldom, very seldom mention you to me. \u00a0When I was old enough to start asking questions I was told that you were \u2026\u201d he glanced at her sharply, and looked away, \u201cnot the kind of woman the de Maringneys would want to know, that you – well, anyway, I guess looking back now I know my Grandmother \u00a0more now than I did then, because she was good to me, kind and generous. \u00a0I had a pleasant childhood, and a good education. \u00a0My father I can dimly recall, but he disappeared out of my life and Grandmother said he had died, and blamed you for his early death. \u00a0It was very clear to me that she hated you, and because she was so good and kind to me, I hated you as well.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Marie said nothing but a shiver went down her spine at the vitriol the old woman would have transfused into the heart of her son over the years. \u00a0The hatred Madame de Marigney had for her had never been concealed, so it was no surprise really, to know that it had not faded with the years. It still hurt though, deeply, that a child could be poisoned so subtly against his natural parent as a result.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI used to hear the servants talking about you though. \u00a0Little snippets whispered in the corridors and suddenly stopping when I came near. \u00a0That\u2019s how I learned your name was Marie. \u00a0Grandmother used to refer to you as That Woman or The Creole. \u00a0I asked the servants at times like those about you but they would not talk to me about it. \u00a0Sometimes it must have been mentioned to Grandmother and she would threaten me with punishment if I were to mention it again. \u00a0As I grew older, I did get punished.\u201d Clay smiled, a twisted smile of bitter resentment, \u201cbut it didn\u2019t stop me from becoming curious.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Clay cleared his throat, and twitched his shoulders back. It was an uneasy feeling, sitting there with his real mother, holding her hand, telling her things that he had not thought about for some while now. \u00a0Memories of those happier years in his childhood that were tinged with a streak of poison.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI loved my Grandparents, in many ways they did everything they could to make me happy. \u00a0I recall a time when I was learning to ride and I overheard Grandmother saying \u2018Jean could never ride so well,\u2019 and she said it with such pride that I realised then that she loved me, but that she had been, perhaps, disappointed in my father. \u00a0I began to look out for such things as that, indications of what had happened in the times before my birth. To the time when things went wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI think, \u201c Marie said gently, \u201cthat your Grandmother would say things went wrong at the time Jean and I met and fell in love.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d Clay shook his head and smiled at her in a charming way, \u201cNo, I think it happened when they realised Jean, my father, was not a very strong character, not in the mould a de Marigney should have been cast.\u201d \u00a0he shrugged, \u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter now, anyway. \u00a0They are all dead.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n They were quiet for a while, then he resumed his narrative,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI heard whispers about you being married, and asked Grandmother about it. \u00a0She boxed my ears and told me not to mention you again, you were dead, and that was all there was to it. \u00a0I heard that father was dead and wondered why there was no big funeral as there had been when Grandfather had died. \u00a0I wanted to know where father had been buried. \u00a0I often asked but no one told me.\u201d he stretched out his legs and released her hand to reach out for the coffee, after several sips he returned to the story.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI went to the Town Hall to look up the registry of births, marriages and deaths. \u00a0I was young, about fourteen if I recall correctly. \u00a0 It was all there \u2026 your marriage to father, my birth. \u00a0Then there was the record of father\u2019s death, and of your marriage to Ben Cartwright. \u00a0 It was – \u201c he paused, and shook his head again, and a confused look fell across his face, \u201cIt was all so strange. \u00a0It just didn\u2019t fit into the way I had been told and I stood there, foolish and stupid, just staring at the records. \u00a0A clerk came and asked me if I needed help, and I explained that I needed to know where my father was buried so that I could visit his grave. \u00a0He wouldn\u2019t or couldn\u2019t help me. \u00a0 I asked my Grandmother and she told me that he had died a long way from home. \u00a0She cried. \u00a0I recall sitting by her side putting my arms around her and thinking \u00a0that she was just a poor old woman who had lost her son, and all she had left was me. \u00a0I felt so sorry for her.\u201d he sighed, and leaned forwards to place the cup back onto the table, \u201cYears ticked away. \u00a0 Then one day I read an article all about the gold fields in San Francisco and there was a feature article within it all about the people who had travelled there, and it mentioned the Cartwright family, The Ponderosa. \u00a0There was no name, and I was not sure whether it was the same place that \u00a0had been on the register recording your marriage but it brought you back into my mind. \u00a0You see,\u201d he said with a sigh, \u201chow easy it is to totally ignore a person you hate, to allow oneself to forget all about them. \u00a0 I went to Grandmother and asked her to tell me all about you, because now I felt I was of an age to know all the facts. \u00a0 For some reason, deep inside myself, I wanted to know the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDid she tell you the truth?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo. \u00a0I learned only that my father was buried on Ponderosa land. \u00a0Cartwright land. I asked her if that was where you were, to explain to me about you and this second marriage. \u00a0She just said that there was nothing to explain. \u00a0You were dead and that was all there was to say about the matter.\u201d \u00a0Clay cleared his throat and shook his head, \u201cI called her a liar, and accused her of holding back the truth from me all these years. \u00a0She lost her temper and struck me. \u00a0I lost my temper and just managed to prevent myself my striking back. \u00a0I left. I never returned.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWas that when you started to call yourself Clay Stafford?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, although I knew now where the name Stafford originated, I did not use it until some years ago when \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhen what?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI did something stupid. \u00a0I was selfish enough to continue to accept the allowance that Grandmother made me. \u00a0I was, so I have been told, feckless and irresponsible. I also gambled a lot. \u00a0Too much probably. \u00a0 Anyway, one day I got into a big game. I mean, seriously a big game. It was ticking away for two whole days, can you imagine?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes, I remember such games when I was in New Orleans. \u00a0It was quite common to have a big game going on for days. \u00a0I remember your father being involved in one such as that, but go on, Clay, what happened?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOne of the players was the son of a very wealthy and prominent man. A senator, no less. \u00a0He and I were pretty evenly matched. \u00a0 To cut a long story short, he accused me of cheating, I accused him of cheating. \u00a0He demanded satisfaction and I demanded a duel in order to get satisfaction. \u00a0He drew a gun on me and I grabbed hold of a gun from somewhere, his bullet passed me, but my bullet got him fair and square. \u00a0He died several hours later. \u00a0Of course, being such an influential family his dying version of events were believed. \u00a0I had to make a hurried exit from New Orleans as a result.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDid you got to your grandmother for help at all?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo. \u00a0Not at all. \u00a0She and I remained estranged and she died leaving everything to a cousin. \u00a0Not that I cared, except that my allowance came to an end and I had to shift for myself. \u00a0No bad thing really, it was about time, I guess, that I woke up to myself.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Marie sighed now, and leaned back against the cushions. \u00a0He was, she realised, so much like Jean, and so much like Joe, that it was very easy to care for him, to feel the most natural love for him. \u00a0She waited for him to speak but he said nothing.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDid you know that there were wanted posters out for you, on the charge of murder?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cFor me?\u201d Clay looked astounded, and then shook his head, \u201cI didn\u2019t realise that, how did you know?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cClay, let me tell you my story now. \u00a0Because I want you to know the truth, of how it really was right at the beginning.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Clay nodded thoughtfully, his mind went over the facts he had presented to her, and he wondered whether or not he was going to find it possible to believe what she was going to tell him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe Cartwright had stopped whistling and feeling good about things now. \u00a0As he crouched in the saddle his thoughts had trickled back to the reason he had gone into town. \u00a0He had enjoyed being with Joy, and he had looked for Clay, although with less enthusiasm that he had began, but now the rain had recommenced and he was feeling irritated once more. \u00a0 Cochise stretched out his legs, eager to return to the comforts of his stall. \u00a0In the saddle, Joe began to fret about what to tell his mother, and what her reaction would be when he told her the reason for going into town in the first place. \u00a0 Then he remembered the letter for Adam, and felt some ressurance that some good excuse could be offered other than the truth of the matter.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hoss was feeling annoyed. \u00a0He had an empty feeling in the pit of his stomach that meant it was past his meal time. \u00a0Rain always made him feel irritated as well. It just made a mess of everything. \u00a0He shrugged inside his jacket as rain drops dribbled down the back of his neck. \u00a0 Usually he thought about the meal Hop Sing would have prepared, but this particular day he just felt that everything was against him. The mud on his clothes from the encounter with the calf earlier was seeping more into him, which meant he would need a bath. \u00a0His stomach grumbled and rumbled. \u00a0Daddumit, a bath would mean putting off dinner for another hour. \u00a0He wondered if he would manage to hold out for that much longer.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam stared at the ceiling and willed himself to remain calm. \u00a0 He had asked Hop Sing to help him out of bed so that he could get downstairs to meet Clay and to give Marie any support she would require, but Hop Sing had scolded him severely for even thinking such a thing. \u00a0 Now all he could do was listen to the hum of voices from downstairs that drifted meaninglessly up towards him. \u00a0It seemed to him that Clay had done most of the talking up to now. \u00a0He struggled to sit up, to get his legs from the covers, but there was no point to the exercise. \u00a0Exhausted, he fell back upon the pillows and in frustration, balled his fists, closed his eyes and emitted a groan of despair. \u00a0Then, he heard the soft tones of Marie\u2019s voice drifting up from the big room.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 81<\/p>\n After looking earnestly into her son\u2019s eyes, Marie began to speak. \u00a0She told him about her childhood in New Orleans, and about her parents and family. \u00a0She explained how she had met Jean and how they had fallen in love. \u00a0Yes, his family thought he was a weak man, but they were wrong. \u00a0He was gentle, kind and loving and when he had needed to be strong in defence of the woman he loved, then he was strong. \u00a0They married despite his mother\u2019s objections and hatred for the woman who became Marie de Marigney.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A year later, to add to their joy, Clayton was born. \u00a0It had been a difficult birth and after a few weeks she had become ill. \u00a0When she recovered, she was told her son had died of an illness and that Jean was gravely ill. \u00a0That he had died before she had been able to see him because Madame had forbidden her entry to the house.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Life had been tolerable with good friends but she had grieved the loss of son and husband. She grew to hate Madame as much as she had been hated. \u00a0It was not until Ben Cartwright had arrived that she realised just how much reason she had to hate Clays Grandmother.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDo you believe me?\u201d she asked him, simply. \u00a0Once again she looked into his face and saw the anxiety in his eyes, and she knew that he was wanting to believe her, but there was some way yet to go.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBen came to tell me that Jean had died on his land, far away on the Ponderosa. I had no idea where that was, of course. \u00a0He told me that Jean had loved me right to the day he had died, but that he had been unable to \u2026\u201d she bit her lip and turned away, shivered as though a blast of cold air had blown upon her. \u00a0\u201cHe had been told I had abandoned them for another man. \u00a0Betrayed him and my son. \u00a0He had been ill, with grief, because of the lies she had told him. \u00a0Then he had left, travelled, roamed here and there, searching for peace of mind, perhaps. \u00a0By the time he reached the Ponderosa he was already dying I suppose, worn out, exhausted. \u00a0But Ben told me that he constantly spoke about me, told him how much he loved me and how, one day, he would find me.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhy didn\u2019t he write to you? \u00a0Why didn\u2019t you write to him and try and explain?\u201d Clay cried, exasperated by the web of lies that seemed to have been spun by the woman he had loved, hoping that somehow he could find a flaw in this new truth he was being told by a woman he had hated for years.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBecause I had believed her when she told me Jean had died. \u00a0I believed the friends I had who confirmed that he had been ill, that he had died. \u00a0I believed everything because you were dead, and if you were dead, Jean had to be dead too. \u00a0You can\u2019t understand what it is like to grieve for a child, for a mother to know her baby was gone forever. \u00a0I grieved every day for you.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBut you married and had another son.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes, I married Ben. \u00a0We came here and I had another son. \u00a0But Joseph was not a replacement for you. \u00a0Even though, when I saw him first of all, he looked so like you. \u00a0Ben knew I had a child by Jean, that you were dead. \u00a0 \u00a0You can\u2019t replace one child with another.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAnd so, you lived happily here thinking I was dead?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes. \u00a0Just over twelve years ago, Ben was killed. \u00a0Life was no longer so happy, not for any of us. \u00a0Ben was too big a man, too – oh, just too alive, too vibrant a man not to be missed. \u00a0His death brought changes. \u00a0Life goes on, only differently.\u201d she looked at him and saw the withdrawn look of a confused man, and, uncertain of what to do or say next, she became silent.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI heard about Remy Cartier.\u201d he said suddenly, \u00a0\u201cHe used to come to the house to visit my Grandmother. \u00a0He used to talk a lot about my father, as though they were great friends. \u00a0 Did you know him?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think so. \u00a0He came into our lives just over a year ago. \u00a0He called himself David Carter and became the Bank Manager here. \u00a0 He claimed to have been Jean\u2019s friend but now I know that was just to inveigle his way into my life. \u00a0 If you are the friend of a good honest man, the assumption is that you are also a good and honest man. \u00a0It was through David, Remy as you remember him, that I discovered you were, in fact, still alive.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe told you that? \u00a0But why?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhy not? \u00a0Reveal a lie told by someone else, and gain more trust. \u00a0He concealed the fact that he had been the one to steal you from my room while I sick with fever in bed only a few feet from your crib. \u00a0And for what? \u00a0Money, and being accepted in Madame\u2019s circle of friends. He was no friend of Jeans, and certainly, no friend of mine.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Clay looked at her in surprise. \u00a0She had been so calm and placid during his narrative, and so precise and detached in her own that the sudden fire in her voice, the flash of passion in her eyes, the anger, caught him by surprise. \u00a0For the first time since she had began to speak he found himself actually realising how much he believed her. \u00a0For the first time in his life, he realised how duped he had been for most of it.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat happened to him?\u201d he asked, unconsciously drawing closer to her.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe wanted to marry me. \u00a0But events caught up with him, and revealed him to us, showed us what he really was, a thief, a murderer, a liar. \u00a0 Rather than face justice he shot himself.\u201d she shivered, and her voice lost its passion, and grew cold.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDid you – did you believe him, when he told you I was alive?\u201d Clay asked after a few moments had elapsed.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes. It was the one good thing that came out of the situation. \u00a0I had confirmation from someone else, a witness to what had happened when he had taken you from me. \u00a0 Adam contacted a friend of Bens in New Orleans and asked him for information of your whereabouts, and we learned you were in Texas.\u201d she looked at him thoughtfully, and then glanced away, \u201cJoe was so excited at the thought of you being there that he wanted to ride out and find you right away. \u00a0It was the night of the big storm.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI was already in Virginia City.\u201d Clay said quietly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThen Adam went into town,\u201d she continued, as though he had never spoken, \u201cand he saw the Wanted posters on the sheriffs desk. \u00a0He took them and brought them here. \u00a0That was how we knew you were wanted for murder.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSo the law here, they don\u2019t know about Clayton de Marigney?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d she looked at him thoughtfully and frowned, \u201cWas that when you changed your name?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI thought it better to do so. \u00a0The Senator is a very powerful man. \u00a0Even if it just bought me enough time, I don\u2019t know, to prove my innocence, perhaps. \u00a0I came here because I wanted to see my father\u2019s grave. \u00a0To actually find something substantial and real from the whole mess of lies I had been told for so long. \u00a0I thought if I could prove one thing true, then perhaps other things would fall into place and be true. \u00a0People back in town talked about the Cartwrights, about you, but -.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBut?\u201d she prompted.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI kept wondering about it all, I mean, I had seen your name and I knew you had married Ben Cartwright, and here I was in Virginia City, next door to the Ponderosa, close to my father\u2019s grave, and just perhaps you were my mother. \u00a0I saw the facts, saw them crystal clear, but I couldn\u2019t believe them. \u00a0I couldn\u2019t believe it possible that my mother was here, really alive. \u00a0I kept telling myself that what I had read in those records was not real, the things my Grandmother had told me, they had to be real because I had believed them to be so since I had been a child.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDo you believe me now?\u201d she said quietly<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The door opened abruptly and slammed shut. \u00a0They both turned with a start and stared at the big man standing, dripping wet, flinging a soggy \u00a0hat to the floor in disgust.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHi, Ma,\u201d Hoss said heartily, \u201cWhat\u2019s for dinner? \u00a0I\u2019m doggone famished.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 82<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Marie and Clay rose to their feet and faced the newcomer. \u00a0Hoss, looked at one and then the other, and frowned. \u00a0He then nodded,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cEr, I kinda thought we had a visitor. \u00a0I put the horses in the stable out of the rain. \u00a0Hope that was alright by you?\u201d he looked at Clay and raised his eyebrows.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIs it raining again?\u201d Marie said, in a rather bewildered, detached way.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, Ma, I just swam home.\u201d Hoss teased, but there was an underlying anxiety in the way he kept his eyes on Clay.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHoss, you\u2019ll need to clean up before dinner is ready.\u201d \u00a0Marie said, and then turned to Clay, \u201cClay, this is Ben\u2019s second son, Eric. \u00a0We call him Hoss.\u201d and she smiled gently, before turning to Hoss, \u201cMy dear, this is my son, Jean\u2019s son, Clayton.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJust call me Clay.\u201d the \u00a0young man smiled, and offered his hand, which Hoss shook, glancing at Marie with question marks in his eyes,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJust call me Hoss,\u201d he replied, and then he smiled, \u201cEveryone knows me as Hoss. \u00a0If\u2019n I started calling myself Eric now no one would know who they was talking about, including me.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Clay obliged by laughing politely at this comment, and then turned to Marie,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPerhaps I should be getting back to town now, I\u2019ve taken up enough of your time.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou can\u2019t go home in this weather,\u201d Marie protested, \u201cThe rain\u2019s heavy and anyway, now that I have found you again, you don\u2019t seriously think that I could turn you out? \u00a0There\u2019s a room here that could be yours for as long as you wish to stay with us. \u00a0Please do stay.\u201d and she placed a hand on his arm and looked up into his face with such an earnest appeal that Clay could only nod and smile before placing his hand over hers.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThank you, and yes, after all this time I don\u2019t want to lose you either. I want to get to know you well, and – and catch up on things.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Marie looked away, not wanting either him or Hoss to see the tears that had sprung into her eyes. \u00a0For the first time in so many years, the emptiness in her heart had been filled.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHow\u2019s Adam, Ma?\u201d Hoss asked, heading towards the stairs, \u201cI\u2019ll just stick my head in and check on him, if that\u2019s alright?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019ll be pleased to see you,\u201d Marie replied in a muffled voice and then turned to Clay, \u201cIt may be a good idea if you were to meet Adam. \u00a0He\u2019s Ben\u2019s first born, and I know that he would want to know all about you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sure he would,\u201d Clay replied, and smiled, but there was anxiety in his eyes which his mother failed to notice, \u201cWhat illness is he suffering from, may I ask?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh, a little something courtesy of David Carter,\u201d Hoss muttered as he passed them by the stairs, \u201cHe arranged for some friend of his to ambush Adam. \u00a0Thankfully we found him in time.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDavid Carter – that\u2019s who I know as Remy?\u201d Clay frowned, \u201cAnd he arranged for a gun man to kill Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYeah, like I said.\u201d Hoss said quietly, \u201cNearly succeeded too, especially when he came to finish off the job himself.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDid the gun man get caught?\u201d Clay asked quietly, following Hoss up the stairs to the half landing, \u201cI mean, it could be dangerous if he was still around.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHuh, he high tailed it outa here with his pay off as soon as he thought he had done the job. \u201c Hoss remarked, leading the way along the landing to Adam\u2019s room.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIf he knows he didn\u2019t do it right, he may come back.\u201d Clay\u2019s voice was steady, but the warning was clear.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hoss grimaced and shrugged, then he turned to Clay and faced him squarely,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI hope he does come back. \u00a0I sure would like to get hold of him and pay him back for what he did to my brother. \u00a0 Still, the person who paid for him to shoot Adam is dead himself, so I doubt if he\u2019ll bother.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He pushed open the door now and stepped into the room. \u00a0 Clay followed close behind him, and found himself in a large room. \u00a0Facing him was a wide and high window with drapes that fell heavily to the carpeted floor. \u00a0A desk had been positioned close to the window, with a large globe on one corner and an oil lamp on the other. \u00a0In between were rolls of paper, parchments, pens and inks. \u00a0A heavy book case stood on one side of the room, full of books. \u00a0 Clay was impressed as the majority of homes out west seldom managed about three at the most. \u00a0 It was a reminder yet again that in this territory things were far less primitive than many were led to believe.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n There was a leather arm chair in one corner of the room, and a table with a sextant upon it, also maps. \u00a0Some were rolled, some spread out for viewing. Laid across them was a leather encased telescope.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Obviously in a bedroom the main feature was the bed, a good sized bed with the same heavy wood as the rest of the furniture in the house. \u00a0A small bedside cabinet stood beside the bed with a lamp upon it, and several silver framed pictures. \u00a0 Clay wondered whether they were pictures of Adams\u2019 sweethearts, but it was only later that he would discover that one was a picture of his mother, another of the boy Adam with his father, and one of a family, obviously taken not long before Ben Cartwright had been killed.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It was the man in the bed, however, who dominated the room. \u00a0Propped up by pillows Adam Cartwright\u2019s dark eyes looked at Hoss, then Clay and then at Marie. There was no doubt about it, not only was the man handsome, but Clay discerned immediately that the man was also intelligent and the true master of the Ponderosa.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 83<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam realised immediately that he had to say something. \u00a0The three of them were looking at him in a way that indicated they were feeling awkward and unsure of what to say themselves. Marie opened her mouth and closed it again, before giving him a rather watery smile which was obviously her way of indicating something. He wasn\u2019t really sure what it was exactly. \u00a0 Hoss was looking perturbed, wet and rather bedraggled. He kept pushing his fingers through his hair which was a clear sign of discomfiture. \u00a0The young man standing between them was looking at him challengingly, but with a degree of reticence.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cEverything alright, Hoss?\u201d he said, finally, looking at his brother with a fond expression on his face, \u201cYou look like you\u2019ve had a fight with a herd of buffalo.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYeah, well, one calf in fact, Adam. \u00a0Got herself stuck in some reeds in the river. \u00a0Her old Ma wouldn\u2019t let me near her, didn\u2019t seem to realise I was there to help. Dang her hide.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBut she was alright in the end, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSure was, Adam, \u2018cept I fell in the mud several times. \u00a0Thought I\u2019d come back and get a bath. \u00a0The rains so heavy now there ain\u2019t nothing I can do out thar now.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam smiled briefly, closed his eyes, and then when he opened them he looked at Clay. \u00a0Had he imagined it or had Marie stepped closer to her son, as though in protective mode. \u00a0He thought of Hoss\u2019 experience with the calf and the mother at the river and smiled, it seemed the maternal instinct in all species was always alert on behalf of their young.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHello, Clay. Or is it Clayton?\u201d \u00a0he smiled pleasantly, and extended his hand which forced the other man to approach the bed and take hold of it, firmly, in his own.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d prefer to be known here as Clay, if that\u2019s alright with you all?\u201d Clay replied, narrowing his eyes slightly, as though to intimate to Adam Cartwright that he was his own man, and wanted to keep it that way, no matter how long he stayed at the Ponderosa.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam looked at Marie who approached him and placed a hand on his shoulder, but there was not kiss on the brow as there were other days, instead she smiled at him, and then at Clay,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAdam, Clay and I literally bumped into each other on the road. He was coming here and I was going into town.\u201d she kept her hand on his shoulder, as though the pressure of it there would reassure him somehow, and at the same time, let him know that she needed him to reassure her that all was well, all was acceptable.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s good to meet you at last, Clay.\u201d Adam responded, and he leaned back a little more into the pillows, \u201cHow long do you intend staying with us?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know. \u00a0I hadn\u2019t thought about it. \u00a0This was a chance meeting with Marie, and there\u2019s a lot to talk about and catch up on.\u201d Clay replied and looked at his mother, and smiled, \u201cI don\u2019t want to lose her as soon as I\u2019ve found her.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOf course not,\u201d Adam sighed, and looked at Hoss with a slight frown, \u201cWasn\u2019t Joe with you this morning?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, Adam. \u00a0He went into town on an errand.\u201d Hoss replied, and glanced over at Clay, \u201cI had best get a bath and outa these wet clothes.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He left quickly, closing the door behind him. \u00a0Adam looked at Marie, her hand was still on his shoulder, and he raised his arm, to place his hand upon hers.<\/p>\n \u201cFeeling happy, Ma?\u201d he said softly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes, for the first time in my life I feel almost complete. \u00a0If Ben were here, it would be perfect.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam nodded, and closed his eyes. \u00a0He was probably the only one in the room who had noticed Clay\u2019s expression when Marie had spoken. \u00a0 Perhaps he was wondering, Adam mused, why Marie had not mentioned Jean as making her world perfect. \u00a0He forced himself to open his eyes and to look at the young man again.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Clay was looking out of the window, distracted by the arrival of a young man on a paint horse riding into the stable.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 84<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe shivered as he led Cochise into the stable. \u00a0The rain had penetrated through his clothes and the warmth of the stable made him realise just how cold he had become during his ride from town. \u00a0He led Cochise to his stall and unsaddled him, whistling a tune beneath his breath as he did so.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It was as he turned to leave his horse\u2019s stall that he saw the other horse, the roan. \u00a0He paused for a moment, and then went over to check it out. \u00a0Whereas Hoss accepted things as they appeared on the surface, Joseph F. Cartwright was a creature of curiosity. Adam often asked him \u2018What did the cat die of, Joseph?\u201d and Joe would reply in a bored voice, \u2018Curiosity, of course.\u2019 and then would come the lecture on being more careful in future.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n But it was true, because Joe was always curious. \u00a0That was why, as a child, he would insist on climbing higher up a tree than anyone else, because he wanted to see what was up there. That was the reason he arrived home one day covered in bee stings because he wanted to know if bees really did make honey (he discovered they did, but suffered the consequences).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Now he inspected the roan. \u00a0It was a good horse, no older than four years old, and with a good chest on it. \u00a0It\u2019s head was neat and well formed, and it obviously was intelligent by the way it pricked its ears back and forth, as though inspecting the inspector just as carefully as it was being inspected. \u00a0 Joe ran his hand along the animals back, and down past its flanks. \u00a0There was a brand mark on its rear, one that looked vaguely familiar. \u00a0He looked at it more closely. It was certainly none from town, or any of the neighbours.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He checked over the tackle next. \u00a0Not that he found out much from that except that the saddle blanket had the brand mark sewn into one corner. \u00a0A monogram would be the proper name for it, Joe mused, as he flipped the blanket aside.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n So, they had a visitor. \u00a0A stranger too because Joe knew all the brands in the area. \u00a0He shrugged slightly, and left the stable, bowing his head down and holding onto his hat in an attempt to ward off the rain from his face. \u00a0 \u00a0He was halfway to the house when he remembered where he had seen the monogram before, and why that word had slipped into his mind.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The thought made him falter in his stride and he glanced up at the house. \u00a0 Rain fell upon the unturned face but he took no notice as he remembered that time, when a child, and he had been playing with a book from his mother\u2019s book shelves.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s this?\u201d he has asked, pointing to an embroidered emblem on the cover, \u201cWhat does it mean?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Marie had taken it from him, and looked at it thoughtfully before putting it away in a drawer and locking it. \u00a0This had brought forth vocal protest from Joe, who insisted on having the book back.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt isn\u2019t a book for little boys to play with,\u201d Marie had said, \u201cIt belonged to my other husband, Jean. It\u2019s his diary and I don\u2019t want you to play with it, do you understand?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI weren\u2019t gonna play with it, Momma, I was just gonna read it is all.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt isn\u2019t a book for a little boy to read.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat was the brand on the cover then, Momma?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt wasn\u2019t a brand, Joe, it\u2019s a monogram. \u00a0It was Jean\u2019s family crest, the deMarigney crest. \u00a0Do you understand what I mean?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cLike a brand then?\u201d the child had replied simply, and wondered why adults always had to make things so much more difficult than they really were.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The de Marigney brand. \u00a0Joe could barely swallow his spit and had to cough to get himself walking back to the house. \u00a0He slammed the door shut and threw his hat to one side, glancing wildly around the room. \u00a0When Hop Sing appeared, wondering who had entered with such a racket, he had asked abruptly if everyone were home and Hop Sing had nodded and said they were in Adam\u2019s room.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAnd who\u2019s with them?\u201d Joe asked, knowing the answer already but wanting it confirmed, as he hurried across the floor to the stairs.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cClay Stafford.\u201d Hop Sing replied and stood watching the boy take two stairs at a time.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe\u2019s heart was pounding by the time he reached the door of Adam\u2019s room. \u00a0He bowed his head and took a deep breath, then gripped the handle and pushed it open.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hoss was not there, and for a moment Joe wondered why his brother was missing. \u00a0He saw Marie, and the look on her face. \u00a0He registered it as a look he had never seen before, something new, something wonderful, seemed to be shining from her face and eyes. \u00a0Then he turned and saw Clay Stafford.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHello, Joe,\u201d Clay said in his pleasant easy going voice, and he smiled.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It was a crooked smile, a slightly take it or leave it kind of smile. Perhaps his heart was pounding too as he turned to meet this young man, this newly found brother of his, but his eyes were warm, and twinkled.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHello, Clay,\u201d Joe replied, surprised that he could actually get the words pass his lips. \u00a0Then he had stepped forward and taken hold of the hand that was held out to him, and gripped it firmly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSo you\u2019re my little brother that everyone in town talks so much about, huh?\u201d and Clay brought his other hand around to give the younger man a hug.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t realise you\u2019d be here,\u201d Joe babbled, \u201cI thought you were in town. I went to see you, you know, but couldn\u2019t find you.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It was excitement welling up inside him, all the thinking and planning of what he would say, and how he would say it, were all forgotten. \u00a0He could only stand and stare at this other man, and think, \u2018this is my brother\u2019.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYour mother and I bumped into each other on the way here. \u00a0Well, I was on my way here and Marie was on the way to town.\u201d Clay laughed, a happy, relaxed shout of laughter that came from the heart.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n If Clay had any reservations about his relationship with Marie, he had none at all with this boy. \u00a0 There was a kinship here that was so obvious, that it excited him, and he felt pure pleasure running through his veins as he smiled down at the younger man. \u00a0Joe was happy too, that was obvious to all in the room, for his face was beaming and his eyes were bright, almost fever bright.<\/p>\n \u201cOh boy,\u201d he said rather oddly, \u201cYou\u2019re here.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Clay laughed again, and nodded,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes, I guess you could say so, yes, I\u2019m here.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam sighed and half closed his eyes beneath heavy lids. \u00a0 It was going to be interesting, he thought, to see where all this leads to, and if anyone were going to be hurt along the way. \u00a0Perhaps he was a cynic, perhaps he was unkind, but he could not help but wonder, the way life had a habit of kicking people in the teeth when least expected.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Marie looked down at him and smiled, a luminous smile of sheer joy. \u00a0Adam could do nothing else but smile back, and watch as she walked towards her sons. \u00a0He raised his eyebrows, and pondered on that \u2026 two men and they were HER sons.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 85<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Their voices receded gradually from the room. \u00a0Adam watched as the door closed behind them, and then he closed his eyes and let the exhaustion wash over him. \u00a0 He was too tired too think, too tired to even want to think, and gradually he felt himself drifting into sleep much like gentle waves of the sea slowly drawing one from the shore.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hoss pulled his clothes on quickly. \u00a0He had heard Joe\u2019s laughter and knowing that little brother was now home and had, no doubt, met Clay, gave him a sense of urgency to get down and be amongst them there. \u00a0 He wondered how Adam would be feeling about the stranger who had walked into their lives and home. \u00a0He wrinkled his brow in thought, as he pondered on the fact that this particular stranger could have more impact on their lives than even David Carter had managed to create.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hop Sing busied himself in the kitchen preparing spare ribs and roast pork with plenty of creamed potatoes and various vegetables. \u00a0He burnt himself on the stove and shook his head. That was not good. \u00a0All these years cooking for the family and no burn. \u00a0Now to-day, with this new family member arrived, he had burned himself. A sure sign of stress. \u00a0He would have to make himself some herbal teas to calm himself down, and then meditate on why he was feeling this way when Mrs Cartwright was so very happy now.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Happy wasn\u2019t really the word to describe Marie. As she sat down at the head of the table she looked around her and felt exhileration. \u00a0She wanted to cry and laugh all at the same time. \u00a0Joe and Clay sitting side by side, and Hoss beside her. \u00a0She would never be able to tell anyone who asked what they had eaten during that meal, for her eyes and mind were solely on the fact that Clay was there, sharing the meal with them. \u00a0She devoured them with her eyes, laughed along with them, tried to pay attention to the things they were saying but unable to keep her mind settled on any one topic. \u00a0It were as though she were drunk.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Clay had lived a different live to them all. \u00a0He had been educated, and raised in a wealthy and socially prominent class in a city that paid strict adherence to the rules of such society. \u00a0He was therefore, relaxed and charming. \u00a0The more excited Joe became the more charming Clay became, and he would recline back in the chair, listen with a smile to his younger brother\u2019s chattering and nod as though everything was perfectly in order.<\/p>\n Perhaps it was now. \u00a0He looked at Marie and smiled at her, and received a dazzling smile in return. \u00a0He had a beautiful mother, no wonder a de Maringney had fallen in love with her.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n His eyes strayed to look at the portrait of the man who had been Marie\u2019s second husband. \u00a0For a while he could not take his eyes from the face, the dark eyes seemed to bore into his soul. \u00a0He could well understand why Marie would have loved this man, he had a magnetism that even the picture had succeeded in capturing.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe was fairly bouncing off his chair as he described to his new brother the delights of a horse round up. \u00a0The ways to cut off a good looking horse from the herd and to draw it in with the others that had been picked off. \u00a0Then later breaking them in, just enough to tame them but never enough to break their spirit.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m glad about that,\u201d Clay remarked, taking his eyes from the portrait of Ben at last, and smiling at Joe, \u201cNo creature should have its spirit broken.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe nodded, and looked at Marie. \u00a0He saw the flash of a smile on her face, the colour in her cheeks. It made him realise that even when she professed to have been in love with David Carter, she had never looked so young or so lovely as she did now. \u00a0That, he thought, was what real happiness can do, it restores the spirit. \u00a0He smiled at the thought and looked at Hoss.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAre you alright, Hoss? \u00a0You\u2019re mighty quiet?\u201d he said, flashing his brother a bright smile and a wink.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYeah, well, I ain\u2019t really got that much to say,\u201d Hoss replied, opening his eyes wide and looking at Joe as though surprised that his little brother had even noticed.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe oughta take Clay out on a horse round up soon, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYeah, if he wants to come and the weather lets up,\u201d Hoss sighed, and stabbed at a slice of pork just at the time Clay had decided to do the same.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The two men looked at one another, their forks stuck in the same slice of meat, and Clay laughed. \u00a0Hoss dithered, then, because he considered Clay the guest, he removed his fork.<\/p>\n It was just a little, rather silly thing, but to Hoss, it was significant. \u00a0He didn\u2019t know for sure why.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A crack of thunder scudded across the roof tops, and Marie jumped. \u00a0Then she smiled, picked up a decanter of wine and poured herself some more, before handing it to Clay. \u00a0Hoss wondered if she would still have done that had Adam been there, he, being the oldest, had always been handed the decanter of wine first, it had been a kind of ritual. \u00a0He bowed his head and continued to eat, telling himself not to keep looking for fault when there was none.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam tossed about in the bed as he felt himself being sucked down a long dark vacuum where faces from the past drifted in and out, here and there, as though haunting him. \u00a0Hands reached out to pluck at him and he felt cold, bitterly cold. \u00a0A man\u2019s face suddenly loomed over him, and then turned away and as he did so, Adam felt blinding pain surge through his body. \u00a0He cried out into the silence, but even as he did so thunder crashed above his room and made the walls shake.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Far away in a different state, Esmond Scott bade his wife and daughters goodbye. \u00a0He assured them he would be home soon. \u00a0 He got into his carriage, and waited for the coachman to drive him to the railway station. \u00a0Everything was perfectly in order. \u00a0This t<\/p>\n ‘tidying up task’. was now on it\u2019s way.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 83<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hoss pushed the door open slowly, peeked into the room and glanced over to the bed,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHey, \u00a0Adam, whar are ya?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHere,\u201d came the reply, rather disembodied in the gloom of the room.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hoss turned to wards the voice and raised his eyebrows, then looked back to the bed,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAin\u2019t\u2019cha supposed to be resting?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHoss, if I stay there any longer I\u2019m afraid that I\u2019ll never get out. \u00a0I just thought I\u2019d see if I could get from the bed to the chair without falling down.\u201d he leaned forward and turned the flame higher in the lamp, giving more illumination to the room. \u00a0He looked at Hoss who was now seated on the edge of the bed, \u201cWhat\u2019s on your mind, brother?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNuthin\u2019 much, I jest thought I\u2019d come and spend a while with \u00a0you.\u201d Hoss leaned forward, clasped his hands together between his knees and twiddled his thumbs.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t look like you really feel comfortable spending time in here with me, Hoss. \u00a0Why not just say what you came in here to say, and be done with it.\u201d \u00a0Adam sighed, and leaned back in the chair.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It had been exhausting getting from the bed to the chair. \u00a0He had not realised just how weak he had become, and now this new determination to get \u00a0up and active was not going to be achieved due to such extremes of physical limitations. He observed Hoss thoughtfully and could tell the man was inwardly struggling about something. \u00a0He cleared his throat,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDo you want me to make a guess at what it is?\u201d he asked kindly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNope, there ain\u2019t nothing\u201d Hoss replied and frowned, \u201cWal, just a little bit of a niggle perhaps.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cClay being here getting under your skin, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cShucks, he\u2019s only been here a few hours. \u00a0I didn\u2019t think Joe would be so taken up with the guy. \u00a0He\u2019s planning all kinds of things to do with Clay all ready.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhich doesn\u2019t include you?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve got chores to do anyhow,\u201d Hoss said defensively, and he sighed, \u201cDid he say how long he was going to be here fer?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, I should imagine that will be arranged between Marie and himself.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n They were quiet for a little while and then Hoss sighed and stood up, he walked over to the window and stared out. \u00a0After the storm everything was fresh and clean smelling. \u00a0The night sky was a mass of stars and the moon slid through the clouds.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI guess things won\u2019t really change much, just because Clay\u2019s here,\u201d Hoss mused, \u201cOnce Joe gets used to him being around things will settle down a mite.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSure they will, Hoss.\u201d Adam smiled, \u201cYou know what Joe\u2019s like, he changes \u00a0his mind about things, people, every five minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I guess so,\u201d Hoss leaned forward, and looked down, \u201cMa\u2019s real happy.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes, of course she is, she deserves to be after all these years.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cCan you remember much about her first husband, Adam? \u00a0I can\u2019t rightly recall \u00a0him at all.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam frowned now, and bowed his head as he tried to recapture any memory he had about Jean, he shook his head slowly,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cClays\u2019 got some ways about him that remind me of Jean. \u00a0He was a pleasant man, always trying to impress us, he spent a lot of time playing with \u00a0you, Hoss. He would often read stories to you, and tell you that he had a little boy at home just like \u00a0you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cExcept that he was dead,\u201d Hoss muttered.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, that was what they told Marie. \u00a0That was what was really so cruel about it all really.\u201d Adam sighed and picked up a book, \u201cAnything else?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh yeah, Joe gave me this. \u00a0It\u2019s the letter from Judge Warden. \u00a0He said he would have brought it in himself but he was going to town with Clay.\u201d \u00a0Hoss sighed, \u201cI\u2019d best get down and do those ledgers. \u00a0Hope you get back to health soon, Adam, I hate doing them things.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI know,\u201d Adam smiled in a kindly manner and put the book down to open the envelope. \u00a0It was still rather soggy, evidence of Joe\u2019s ride from town in the rain.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hoss watched his brother reading the letter and tried to guess what it contained from the expressions on his face, but Adam, apart from a tightening of the lips and a slight furrow of the brow, gave little away. \u00a0He sighed at the end and then passed it over to Hoss,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cTell me what you think about that,\u201d he said quietly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hoss took the letter and smoothed it out a little more, some of the words were smudged from the soaking it had received but he could make out most of it.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDadgumit, these legal folk sure talk a different language, don\u2019t they?\u201d he muttered.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam said nothing but stared out of the window and tapped his chin thoughtfully with his forefinger, before looking towards his brother who was re-reading the letter,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe ought to let Marie know,\u201d he said \u201cBut I don\u2019t know how she\u2019ll take it.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cShucks, Adam, she\u2019s like walking on clouds jest now. \u00a0I ain\u2019t never known her to be this happy since before Pa died.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cShe should know sooner rather than later, Hoss.\u201d Adam replied, \u00a0his dark eyes lingered on his brother\u2019s face, \u201cDid you say Clay and Joe had gone into town together?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYeah, that\u2019s right,\u201d Hoss emitted a long drawn out sigh, \u201cthe weather was too bad for work, so they went off a few hours ago.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cA few hours ago?\u201d Adam frowned, that was about the time he was fighting demons in his sleep. \u00a0\u201cAfter the storm?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWasn\u2019t much of a storm, just a few bangs an\u2019 such.\u201d Hoss chewed his bottom lip, \u201cThey said they\u2019d be back for supper.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s Ma doing now?\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss looked at Adam and opened his eyes wide,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cShucks, Adam, she\u2019s making a chocolate cake.\u201d he replied.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cUh-huh!\u201d Adam nodded, \u201cI did wonder \u2026\u201d \u00a0he looked at the envelope and slipped it between the pages of the book, \u201cWe\u2019ll discuss this tomorrow with her, Hoss, otherwise we\u2019ll be eating cake for the rest of the week.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lil pushed her way through the throng of smelling sweating bodies, and beamed a smile at the two men as they elbowed their way through the melee,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJoe. Clay. \u00a0How are \u00a0you both? How\u2019s Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDoing well. \u00a0He\u2019s sleeping and Hop Sing is stuffing him full of Chinese herbal teas and such. I reckon he\u2019ll be up and about before you can say have a drink on me,\u201d Joe laughed.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s good to see you again, Joe. \u00a0How\u2019s things with you, handsome?\u201d she smiled at Clay, and gave him a the benefit of a saucy wink, which just added to the hilarity of the little party which was now joined by Joy, who, upon seeing them had pushed her way through and flung herself into their arms.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh Joe, Clay, you both look good enough to eat.\u201d she laughed, \u201cCome on, there\u2019s a free table over here.\u201d and she pulled them along towards a table where a fat miner had just began to lower his posterior into one of the chairs which she pulled quickly away from him, \u00a0\u201cSorry, Jed, this table and all chairs are taken for the moment,\u201d she laughed and bestowed a kiss from her ruby red lips on the man\u2019s balding head. It went someway to placating him despite being teased and laughed at for having the red imprint on his head for all to see.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll get us a round of drinks,\u201d Clay said, and pulled out his wallet, looked into it and sighed, \u201cWell, I would if I had some money. \u00a0Joe, could you lend me enough to get these ladies a drink?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe laughed and flipped his wallet over to Clay without a second thought. \u00a0As Clay threaded his way to the counter he counted the amount of money Joe had in his wallet and frowned. \u00a0 There was enough money to stake a good game of poker. \u00a0As he reached the counter and called out an order for two beers and whatever the ladies would like, he watched the mirror, searching for the gaming tables.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Roy Coffee strolled into the saloon, and glanced around to keep a check on how things were, then he saw Joe and walked over to him,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, Joe, how\u2019s Adam doing?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI think he\u2019s going to be alright, Roy, thanks.\u201d Joe leaned back in his chair, and grinned like a Cheshire cat, \u201cGuess what, Roy.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cCan\u2019t, too busy for guessing, \u00a0you\u2019ll have to tell me.\u201d Roy smiled, pleased at seeing the lad so happy.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI discovered a long lost brother today. \u00a0My Ma\u2019s first born all the way from New Orleans.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNew Orleans?\u201d Joy exclaimed.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou mean, Mr Stafford is your real long lost kinda brother?\u201d Lil\u2019s eyes opened wide enough to almost pop out of their sockets.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, that\u2019s sure some surprise. No one knew Marie had another son tucked away someplace.\u201d Roy replied quietly, and he nodded his pleasure, \u201cWell, I\u2019m sure everyone is more than pleased for you all.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe sure are,\u201d Joe cried, and then made a wide sweeping gesture as Clay joined them at the table, \u201cClay, this is our friend and sheriff, Roy Coffee. \u00a0Roy, meet my brother, Clay Stafford.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Clay put down the drinks onto the table and \u00a0extended his hand. \u00a0The two men shook hands cordially. \u00a0Then as Roy left, Clay slipped into the empty chair and put an arm around Lil\u2019s waist.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a game of poker going on at the table towards the back of the room, Joe, how about if we join it?\u201d he suggested, \u201cYou\u2019ve enough money to stake us both.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNah, I don\u2019t feel lucky today.\u201d Joe said with a smile, looking at Joy with puppy dog eyes.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou should be feeling more than lucky, Joe,\u201d Joy laughed, \u201cSeeing how you\u2019ve found a long lost brother.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe said nothing to that, but picked up his beer and tasted it. \u00a0He looked around at the crowd and asked Joy why the place was so packed, and she laughed,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh someone made a strike, a real bonanza today. \u00a0They wanted to stand everyone drinks. \u00a0This party has been going on since two o\u2019clock this afternoon.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAnd the game?\u201d Clay asked, \u201cHow long has that been going?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAbout the same.\u201d Lil said, \u201cThe stakes are pretty high, but whoever wins will be going home with a bonanza of their own.\u201d<\/p>\n Clay leaned back in the chair and nodded. \u00a0He looked over at his brother and smiled, raised his beer to his lips and took a long long drink.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 84<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t want to play poker with Joe, Mr Stafford,\u201d Joy said, leaning over towards him and showing off rather more frontage than she intended, \u201cEveryone knows that if you want to win money, you play against Joe. \u00a0If you want to lose money, you play with Joe as your partner. \u00a0You just have to ask Hoss \u00a0to know that,\u201d and she laughed innocently and leaned back against Joe\u2019s shoulder.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIs that right, brother?\u201d Clay smiled over at Joe, who grinned sheepishly and rolled his large hazel eyes at him. \u201cYou need to be taught how to play the game properly, it seems.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPa never liked gambling much,\u201d Joe said, lifting his glass to his lips, \u201cAdam\u2019s worse than Pa in some ways, he reckons it\u2019s a fools game.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBut he always wins when he does play,\u201d Lil said with a sigh in her voice which didn\u2019t go unnoticed by either men there.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDoes he forbid you to play cards, then, Joe?\u201d Clay asked with a slight edge to his voice.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNope,\u201d Joe shook his head and wiped beer from his upper lip with the back of his hand, \u201cHe just says things like a fool and his money are soon parted, things like that, and then he plays a hand and proves it. \u00a0In that he always wins money off\u2019n me.\u201d \u00a0he laughed as though he thought it funny.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBut he does play cards himself at times?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh sure, but not often. \u00a0Usually if he\u2019s short of cash or bored.\u201d Joe looked at Joy, and smiled fondly at her, receiving a look of adoration in return.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat if I show you how to win money from him, huh?\u201d Clay leaned forwards, and looked Joe squarely in the eyes, \u201cAll you have to do is watch me, closely.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhy?\u201d Joe asked, a slight frown on his brow.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, wouldn\u2019t you like to beat your big brother once in a while,\u201d Clay laughed and leaned back, \u201cI know I would\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYeah, but -\u201d Joe looked thoughtfully at Joy, who gave a slight shrug and raised her eyebrows.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHey, c\u2019mon, Joe, I\u2019ll show you how to clean up.\u201d and Clay pushed Lil gently to one side and stood up from the table to make his way over to the gaming tables.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The four men already playing looked up at them, saw Joe, flashed him a smile and looked at one another knowingly, they nodded at Clay and waited for the introductions. \u00a0Clay looked at the pot, and then nudged Joe, and nodded with such confidence that Joe pulled out a chair and without thinking heard himself say, \u201cDeal us in.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam sat in the chair looking out of the window into the night. \u00a0He could see the vague outline of himself reflected back in the glass. \u00a0 Once or twice he had dozed off to sleep and when he had awoken he was annoyed with himself. \u00a0Hop Sing came and scolded him, then gave him some concoction that tasted foul. \u00a0The clock ticked away the minutes into hours. \u00a0 It was so frustrating to sit there incapable to doing anything but wait.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Marie came in, a smile on her face, coffee in one hand and chocolate cake in the other. \u00a0She set them down on the side table and pulled up a chair,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI feel I\u2019ve neglected you a little today, Adam, I\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been an unusual day, Ma, a happy one too, mm?\u201d he smiled at her, reached out for her hand and was pleased when she placed her hand in his with a smile.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAdam, I\u2019m so full of feelings, emotions, that I can\u2019t even describe which one it is. Joy, pride, happiness \u2026 everything is just so wonderful. If your father were here, it would be just perfect.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cClay would rather his father were here, don\u2019t you think?\u201d he said softly, and looked at her face and saw it soften a little more. She looked so young and carefree for once, and it was with a heavy heart that he thought of the letter in the book.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAdam, Clay must come to terms with life as it is here. \u00a0I was a young girl when I married Jean, and I loved him. \u00a0But I was a woman when I married your father, and there is a big difference in the way a woman loves a man.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He nodded, and said nothing but turned to look back at the window, and saw their reflections gazing back at him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSo why did you make a chocolate cake then?\u201d he said suddenly, and his eyes twinkled as he said it so that she thought he were teasing her and laughed,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh, maybe because I was worried about being so happy. \u00a0 When things go so well -,\u201d she paused and gave a slight shrug of her shoulders, \u201cDrink your coffee, dear.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n They sat together in silence for a little while, he drank the coffee and ate a little of her cake, telling her it was one of her better ones which made her laugh again.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDid anything get mentioned about the posters,\u201d he suddenly said, not looking at her but watching the reflection in the mirrored window.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWith Clay do you mean?\u201d she asked and nodded, \u201cYes, I asked about them, and he told me that there had been an incident in New Orleans. \u00a0A man challenged him to a duel, they had both accused the other of cheating, but it never got to that, because guns were drawn and shots fired.\u201d she gave another delicate little shrug of the shoulders, \u201cClay\u2019s shot killed him.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBut what about eye-witnesses? \u00a0Was there no-one there to corroborate his story?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, they wouldn\u2019t do that, the man who was killed was the son of a very wealthy man, and a very powerful man, a Senator of all things.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThat could be – is – rather unfortunate,\u201d Adam sighed and looked at the book with the slip of paper in it, he looked at her, \u201cDid he say anything else about that incident in Texas?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat incident?\u201d she frowned slightly and looked at him with narrowed eyes, \u201cWhat do you mean, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t you recall that the posters referred to an incident in Texas, not New Orleans. \u00a0$500 dollar reward, wanted for murder \u2026 remember?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She looked away from him and shook her head, then she bowed her head as though suddenly she had a heavy load placed upon her shoulders that she had not anticipated ever being there again.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI had forgotten,\u201d she said simply, \u201cWhen I mentioned the posters to him, he quite openly explained about the situation in New Orleans. \u00a0Let me think,\u201d she put a hand to her brow, \u201cHoss came in just then, and our conversation came to an end. I\u2019m sure he would have explained about it had we not been interrupted.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam nodded, and leaned back into the chair. \u00a0He felt suddenly heavy hearted at seeing her joy tarnished by the anxiety of doubt. \u00a0He squeezed her fingers gently,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sure he\u2019ll have a good explanation,\u201d he said softly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She smiled and nodded, then let his fingers slip away from her hand as she stood up, and picked up the tray, turned to go,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSo long as it\u2019s the honest one,\u201d she replied.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhy do you say that?\u201d Adam exclaimed, \u201cDo you have any doubt about his honesty?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She paused then, and looked at him, the excitement had gone from her posture now, it were as though some light from within her had been extinguished.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAdam,\u201d she replied quietly, \u201cClay is a lot like his father. \u00a0And, although he is my son, I have to remember that he is also a stranger. I didn\u2019t want to acknowledge that fact so soon, but perhaps that is what has been at the back of my mind all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Looking at the window he could see her reflection as she walked to the door, and passed through the doorway. \u00a0Then he was alone, and once more he pulled the slip of paper from the book and read its contents, most of which were now known to her anyway.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Clay Stafford put his arm around his brother\u2019s shoulders and laughed. \u00a0It was a good humoured casual laugh, and Joe could not but help laugh along with him. \u00a0As they stood beside their horses, Clay handed back Joe\u2019s wallet to him, significantly fuller and heavier than it had been earlier.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThere you are, Joseph Cartwright, your share of the winnings and don\u2019t spend it all at once,\u201d and he laughed again, showing off a set of perfect white teeth. He really was a very handsome young man.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI still can\u2019t work out how you did it, Clay, I thought we were losing.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s what I wanted them to think too,\u201d Clay mounted easily into the saddle and turned his horse round, \u201cI knew they had you ringed as a loser, and that worked in our favour, brother.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWas it a – kind of – trick?\u201d Joe asked cautiously, too unsure of this newly known brother to ask outright if he had actually cheated.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Clay narrowed his eyes and turned his face towards home, his lips tightened slightly but then he flashed his brother one of his winning smiles,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt was kinda,\u201d he replied with a twinkle in his eyes, \u201cI\u2019ll show you how it\u2019s done one of these days, Joe. \u00a0It\u2019s a skill.\u201d he began to whistle a tune beneath his breath, softly, and then he smiled \u201cIt isn\u2019t cheating, so no worries. \u00a0You won\u2019t have to burden big brother with tales of cheating, believe me.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe smiled, and nodded. Well, that was a relief. \u00a0The last thing he needed, wanted, was a lecture from a sick big brother about cheating and the sin of gambling. \u00a0He felt more relaxed again, happy to have a brother who wasn\u2019t afraid to push things just that bit further. \u00a0Life was an adventure, Clay was an adventurer, and Joe felt enormous pleasure from just knowing that fact alone.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 85<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Confinement was slowly driving Adam Cartwright stir crazy. \u00a0By the end of the week he was able to move around his room with reasonable ease, but Paul Martin still insisted on his patient remaining in his room so that he could get to his bed and rest when, as he put it, his bones wanted to give up on him. \u00a0Irritatingly Adam found that still happened with too much regularity and the last thing he wanted was for his legs to give way in front of Clay.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A week, and several cakes and still Marie had not ventured to ask Clay any further information than that he had already provided. \u00a0The question of the killing in Texas remained unanswered and the euphoric feeling she had first experienced was slowly ebbing away.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In the mornings Clay rode out with Joe and Hoss on whatever tasks there were that had to be done on the ranch. \u00a0 Adam would watch them ride out of the yard and growl to himself. \u00a0He felt like a caged animal. \u00a0It didn\u2019t really help that he had little company during the few hours after supper that the family could share with him before bed. \u00a0 A family used to being out of the house between 5 and 6 a.m. could not afford to burn the candle at both ends so he would often be just before they were going to get to their beds that they would peer into his room and come in for a brief while to talk about the events of the day, and the work that had to be carried out the next day.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Whenever he asked about Clay both Hoss and Joe assured him that Clay was pulling his weight and seemed to know exactly what he was doing. \u00a0Hoss seemed more relieved than anything whereas Joe would go into detail about how Clay did this, and Clay did that until Adam was quite glad to bid his little brother good night. Clay seldom joined them but would call out a good night as he passed the door.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Friday evening rolled round and Adam \u00a0heard Joe whistling as he passed his door. \u00a0He heard Joe\u2019s door close with a sharp bang. \u00a0 Minutes later Clay passed, humming a tune beneath his breath, just audible. \u00a0His door closed with a soft click.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHi, Adam,\u201d Hoss pushed the door open and closed it behind him, then sunk gratefully into the chair beside the bed upon which Adam was reclining. \u201cYou look about as happy as a bear who jest seen someone run off with his best salmon.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI guess that about fits,\u201d Adam replied with a sigh, \u201cDo you know what would be worse than this, Hoss? \u00a0It would be getting locked up in one of Roy\u2019s cells for a crime I didn\u2019t commit.\u201d \u00a0He stretched his arms ceiling wards and then looked at Hoss speculatively, \u201cSo what\u2019s happening this evening? \u00a0Everyone out on the town, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJoe and Clay have plans.\u201d Hoss agreed, and he stretched out his long legs, \u201cI thought I\u2019d spend the evening here with you.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMighty kind of you,\u201d Adam said quietly, and closed his eyes.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou ain\u2019t gonna go to sleep on me, are ya?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d Adam replied, \u201cI was just thinking.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat about?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJoe and Clay. \u00a0They sure seem to have hit it off well enough, haven\u2019t they?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I guess they have, Joe follows Clay about which Clay seems to enjoy. \u00a0He\u2019s been teaching Joe card tricks.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHow do you mean? \u00a0What kind of card tricks?\u201d Adam raised himself on one elbow and looked into Hoss\u2019 face anxiously.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJust – card tricks,\u201d Hoss said hesitantly, \u201cYou know how bad Joe is at playing cards, he ain\u2019t got any idea of how to remember who has laid down what, and he\u2019s as open as a book when he needs to bluff anyone, you can read him a mile off.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSo, you mean, Clay\u2019s been teaching him how to win at cards?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYeah, kinda.\u201d Hoss agreed.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lil glanced around at the throng of men jostling and elbowing one another out of the way to get to the counter. \u00a0It was going to be a busy night again, and she looked over in Joy\u2019s direction to see how she was getting on with young Mark Colley. \u00a0 All kinds of men passed through those open doors. \u00a0 Rich and poor, old and young. \u00a0Some left on their own two feet, some were carried out. Some were carried out and never got to walk back in anywhere, ever again.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She was an attractive woman, not the flamboyant figure that Joy cut with her luxurious mane of hair, but she could hold her own in the majority of cases and men usually looked at her more than twice over. \u00a0She took the last three steps down the staircase and smiled, not at anyone in particular, but a miner came up and asked her if she would like a drink with him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He was a big broad shouldered man with a full beard and dark curling hair, with a bald patch right on top. \u00a0It made her think of a monk and how they tonsure their heads. \u00a0The idea of a monk elbowing his way to the counter made her smile, as she pulled out a chair to sit upon.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The miner returned and pulled out the chair opposite, giving her a glass of whiskey but keeping hold of the bottle for himself. \u00a0His clothes, a red plaid shirt and dirty jeans, were stained with sweat and dirt. \u00a0Hardly the most conducive customer. \u00a0She smiled at him and thanked him for the drink<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHave you been here long?\u201d she asked, hoping she didn\u2019t sound bored by asking the same questions that she asked every new comer.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAbout two days. \u00a0I got a stake in a mine east of town. \u00a0Looks promising.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMost do, at first,\u201d she sighed, and looked at him again. \u201cHave you been in Virginia City before?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, this is my first time. \u00a0Been to \u2018Frisco, been to Fort Sumter time back \u2026\u201d he glugged at the bottle before setting it down with a frown, \u201cGood whiskey.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cCharley likes to give good service,\u201d she replied and looked towards the door, but the men who came in were not the ones she sought.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBetter than the rot gut I\u2019ve been served in some other places,\u201d he replied, and he smiled, \u201cMy name\u2019s Jack Hannah.\u201d he extended his hand which she shook.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cFolk call me Lil,\u201d she replied and finished her drink, \u201cThanks for the drink, Mr Hannah. I had best go now.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou mean, you\u2019re going?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes, that\u2019s what I said. I have other people to see and Charley\u2019s short staffed this evening. I\u2019ll no doubt see you again, Mr Hannah.\u201d \u00a0she smiled again, and swirled away, her scarlet feather bobbing against the dark curls and her black and red skirts swishing silkily as she left the table.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joy approached her and glanced over to where Mr Hannah sat alone, drinking his whiskey from the bottle, and scowling at the far off wall.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI hope he isn\u2019t going to cause trouble,\u201d she whispered, \u201cCharley can\u2019t afford any more damage being done to the place.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s an odd one,\u201d Lil replied, keeping her back turned so that she didn\u2019t happen to catch the man\u2019s eye and be forced to acknowledge him, \u201cI keep thinking I\u2019ve seen him someplace before, you know. \u00a0Except that I couldn\u2019t have as he has only been here a few days.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPerhaps he\u2019s passed through some time,\u201d Joy commented, and smiled over at Mark, \u201cHe\u2019s all hands, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWho? \u00a0Mark? \u00a0Oh yeah, he\u2019s young. \u00a0Just give him a slap.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n They laughed together, hugging their sides and giggling like girls do. \u00a0But when Lil raised her eyes and looked in the mirror she saw the miner\u2019s reflection, and somewhere deep in her memory, she recalled where she had seen him before, or, if it were not him, then his double for a certainty.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 86<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lil spent a restless night, tossing and turning in her bed, as she tried to make sense of various snatches of conversation she had overheard, or shared in over the past few months. \u00a0 In her profession she met a lot of people, saw a lot of faces and got to know many different voices and now, when she needed some clarity of thought, they were all getting muddled in her head.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She eventually fell asleep just before dawn. \u00a0She slept a dreamless heavy sleep so that when she eventually crawled out of bed she felt clumsy and uncoordinated. \u00a0 Her mind went immediately back to her anxieties of the previous evening and in desperation, she decided to leave the matter alone. \u00a0After all,, she had no proof to her suspicions, a conversation with Joe months ago, something she overheard Roy discussing with Hoss, and a face of a man in a stagecoach were not grounds for her to pass judgement. \u00a0What if she were grossly wrong and an innocent man was arrested? \u00a0But then, what if she were right, and the man she loved came to harm as a result.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam Cartwright was sitting in his customary chair at the breakfast table before his family. \u00a0 He waited for them to join him, one by one. \u00a0Marie gave him a warm welcome, a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Hoss\u2019 greeting was worth more than a bar of gold. \u00a0Clay came downstairs jauntily, and then paused on the bottom step, looked at Adam and raised his eyebrows, then he gave him a charming smile,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cGood to see you with us this morning, Adam. This must mean you\u2019re on the way to recovery,\u201d \u00a0and he his mother a kiss on the cheek, before pulling out a chair to sit down.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDid you enjoy your evening in town?\u201d Hoss asked, spearing some bacon onto his plate, and looking at Clay for a response.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMmm, it was alright. \u00a0Joe had rather a skinful though, no doubt he\u2019ll be down in a moment, but I reckon he\u2019ll be looking the worse for wear as a result.\u201d Clay took some eggs from the dish, and smiled disarmingly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI thought I heard a bit of a ruckus when you two came home,\u201d Adam said slowly, and looked over at Marie, who showed her disapproval by lowering her eyelids and looking down at her plate.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSorry about that,, Adam. \u00a0I must say our little brother certainly does know how to charm the ladies in town, doesn\u2019t he?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh yeah, doesn\u2019t he just,\u201d Hoss muttered, and turned to look at the stairs as Joe finally made his appearance.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He was still rubbing his eyes, puffy though they were, but for someone who had \u2018had a skinful\u2019 he looked in good enough condition. \u00a0He smiled rather absent mindedly at them all, and took his seat, giving his mother a special smile that she chose to dismiss.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSorry if I was a bit noisy last night when I got back,\u201d he said to them all, and then he noticed Adam and a smile of genuine pleasure beamed across his handsome face, \u201cAdam, hey, you\u2019re up. \u00a0Does this mean you\u2019re better?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cFeeling much better, thanks, Joe.\u201d Adam smiled, pleased at the response from his brother and knowing that it was totally genuine gave him a considerable amount of pleasure.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, you know that gal I was telling you about? \u00a0Charley\u2019s daughter, Joy? \u00a0She\u2019s leaving town soon. \u00a0Going to work as a Governess. Ma, you\u2019d like her. She\u2019s educated , you know? \u00a0I kinda got to consoling myself. Then Lil got a bit maudlin, and started drinking some, so I guess that\u2019s how I got to be a bit noisy.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou had better have some black coffee, Joe.\u201d Marie said, and passed him the coffee pot.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThat Joy is a lovely looking girl, all right.\u201d Clay admitted, taking bread from the platter, \u201cShe\u2019ll make a good governess.\u201d and he smiled as though he rather doubted the truth of what he had just said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAnd what did you do while Joe was consoling himself, Clay?\u201d Adam asked slowly, and looked at the young with dark eyes that gave greater emphasis to the question.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh, there was a game of Blackjack in the back room, so I went in and joined it. \u00a0Didn\u2019t do too well, but at least I didn\u2019t lose my shirt.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n No one spoke now. \u00a0A slight discomfort had settled over the room. \u00a0 It was Adam who spoke first,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s the plan for to-day? \u00a0Have you boys anything specific to do?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a few horses that need breaking in, Adam.\u201d Joe put down his cup and frowned, \u201cI know it\u2019s late in the season, and I don\u2019t like riding in these kind of conditions, but they are prime horses. \u00a0I\u2019d hate to have to let them go without a try at them.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI remember them, are you sure you can handle them in your condition?\u201d Adam smiled and Joe laughed, and nodded. \u00a0\u201cClay, before you go, can we have a word with you, in private?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Clay frowned, glanced from Marie and Adam, and then shrugged,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSure, certainly.\u201d he replied and poured himself another cup of coffee.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lil opened the door to the sheriff\u2019s office and looked around. \u00a0Deputy Drewitt frowned and looked over at her, nodded a greeting, and asked if he could be of any help,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIs Sheriff Coffee going to be long? \u00a0I need to talk to him about something.\u201d she replied, pulling her coat more tightly to her body for the wind outside was quite cold now.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe won\u2019t be back from Placerville until this evening, Miss Lily.\u201d Deputy Drewitt replied, \u201cIs there anything I can help with at all?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, it\u2019s all right, thank \u00a0you.\u201d \u00a0she turned back to the door, paused and looked over at him, \u201cOh, my name\u2019s Lil, by the way, not Lily.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh, sorry, Miss Lily – Lil ..\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She closed the door sharply and shook her head. \u00a0After walking several paces down the sidewalk she stopped to think, and then, resolution made she headed for the livery stable. \u00a0There was one person she could talk the matter over with, and she was sure he would listen to her very patiently, and give her the advice she required.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Mr Hannah watched her go with his head to one side and a frown on his face. \u00a0He was a man of high morals, was Mr Hannah. \u00a0 He detested killing for killing\u2019s sake. \u00a0To his mind people had too casual an attitude to life, and no where was this more obvious than in these kind of rough, gold boom towns. \u00a0 When he had to do a spot of tidying up, it was a business transaction, pure and simple. \u00a0He didn\u2019t always accept an assignment. \u00a0If he felt it clashed with his moral principles then he would not accept it.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He watched her go and sighed. \u00a0She was a pretty girl, and had never harmed a soul in her life, of that he was sure. \u00a0But it really annoyed him the way she had kept looking over at him during the evening in the saloon. \u00a0It made him feel uneasy. \u00a0He hated feeling uneasy as much as he hated loose ends.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 87<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The horse shot into the corral like a bullet from a gun. \u00a0 As though sensing that he was going to be involved in a life or death struggle for survival the animal bucked and reared in a fury. \u00a0 Joe clung on desperately tightly, clutching reins and mane in one hand, using his thighs and feet to both control the animal and keep his seat.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cLook at him go!\u201d Hoss whooped clambering up onto the top rung of the fence to watch \u201cCOME ON, JOE\u201d he boomed.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It was a good day weatherwise. \u00a0The sun was being kind to them, although the breeze was cool. \u00a0 Although not the best time for breaking in horses, it was something Joe excelled in and loved. \u00a0This particular horse he had been wanting to try out for some time now, and this, he felt was the perfect opportunity.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Clay watched his little brother thoughtfully, as Joe clung to the saddle of the bucking, rearing, snorting, biting beast. \u00a0At times it looked as though man and creature had blurred into one mass of shadow and dust, both blending together as though fused.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s good,\u201d Clay observed to his mother, by whose side he was standing, and he slipped her arm through his, so that they stood together, linked arm in arm.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She smiled at him and turned to watch Joe. \u00a0How she hated this horse breaking business. She had often asked Adam to cancel the business of supplying horses to the towns nearby, and when he showed her the lucrative contract he had made with the Army she groaned inwardly. \u00a0Joe had loved horses since he was knee high to a grasshopper, and there was no doubt about how well he could ride them. \u00a0Ben said he was a centaur, half boy half horse, when he took the child riding for the first time.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s a natural horseman,\u201d he declared, carrying the boy aloft on his shoulder, and pride written all over his face, \u201cSomething he must have inherited from your side of the family, my love, because all I had was a love of the sea and salt water in my veins.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She watched without the interest of her sons, while her mind drifted back to the conversation she and Adam had, not exactly enjoyed, with Clay.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n As soon as Hoss and Joe had left the room Clay had stood up, looked at them and smiled,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIs this to do with Joe\u2019s getting drunk last night?\u201d he asked, \u201cOnly don\u2019t blame me, because I was nowhere around at the time.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, it isn\u2019t about that, although it touches on it a little,\u201d Adam replied, a slight frown wrinkling his brow, \u201cMarie, Ma and I, we wanted to talk to you about your past and how it\u2019s going to affect your future, here with us.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh? \u00a0So, I do have a future here with you then?\u201d he gave a smile, rather mockingly, one eyebrow raised in a cynical sneer.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s if you wish to have one,\u201d Marie stepped towards him, and put a hand on his arm, hoping that by doing so she would succeed in softening him into a less defensive mode.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell then? \u00a0What is this all about? \u00a0You know I feel rather like an errant school boy being sent in to see the Principal and Matron for a disciplinary meeting.\u201d and he shrugged, as though it hardly mattered at all really.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou can see it in which ever light you wish,\u201d Adam\u2019s terse reply did little to mollify him, and he raised his head defiantly, so that Marie wondered whether or not this had been a wise move after all, and perhaps it would have been better if she had talked to her son on his own. \u00a0For whatever reason there was some sense of antagonism between the two men, and this worried her.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cClay, you told me that you had shot a man, in self defence, in New Orleans, isn\u2019t that right?\u201d she said quietly<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s right. Beauregard Buchanan was his name, his father is a Senator and not a man to be trifled with, that\u2019s for sure.\u201d Clay frowned, slightly annoyed that she had shared this information with Adam. \u00a0He saw it as putting him at a disadvantage.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBut the Wanted posters that we got from Roy\u2019s office mentioned some event in Texas. \u00a0You were still using your given name at that time, because the posters are looking for Clayton de Marigney. \u00a0You couldn\u2019t have felt that worried about the situation in New Orleans if you didn\u2019t change your name until after the Texas event.\u201d Adam pointed out quietly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Clay looked at him challengingly, and frowned,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAre you acting as Judge and Jury on this matter, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNot at all, we just need to know the facts and then know what to do about it.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d Marie nodded and smiled at him, \u201cIf any other posters are sent to Roy, we\u2019ll need to know how to defend you.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDefend me?\u201d Clay looked at them both and then smiled, relaxed a little, \u201cWell, true enough. It could well come down to that I suppose.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSo? \u00a0What happened?\u201d Adam prompted, leaning forward to concentrate,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNothing really, just the usual.\u201d he looked at their blank expressions, and shrugged contritely, \u201cAlright, a man got killed. \u00a0We were playing poker, quite an intense game, and he accused me of drawing from the bottom. \u00a0I don\u2019t cheat. I swear it. \u00a0I know some tricks of the trade, but I don\u2019t cheat.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cGo on,\u201d Marie sat down, with a sigh, \u201cSo he accused you of cheating and you shot him, is that it?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMore or less. \u00a0It was in self defence. \u00a0I was only going to disarm him, if possible, but his bullet hit me in the shoulder, changed my aim, obviously, and he was the one got killed. There were eyewitnesses, as well as the doctor\u2019s report on my injury. \u00a0Seems no one wanted to listen to what they said though, so I just hightailed it outa there as soon as I could.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhy do that? \u00a0Why not just stick around and face it out?\u201d Adam asked, and got a wide eyed hazel gaze right back at him,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou forgetting Senator Buchanan? \u00a0 He\u2019s got a long arm, Adam. \u00a0He\u2019s also got a lot of money to flash around to get people to change their stories as and when it suits him.\u201d he sighed, \u201cI don\u2019t blame him for it, I guess I would want to avenge myself if my only child were killed in a game of cards by -,\u201d he paused and glanced at Marie, \u201c some stranger.\u201d<\/p>\n He looked at them both again, \u201cYou do believe me, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes, of course we do,\u201d Marie replied immediately and she looked at Adam, but he said nothing, preferring to look away instead.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cListen, Clay, people always need heroes in their lives,\u201d Marie said, taking hold of his hand in hers, \u201cFor a long time Ben was Joe\u2019s biggest hero, but now you\u2019re here. \u00a0He looks up to you, Clay, admires you and respects you -\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAs he does his other brothers, I\u2019m sure,\u201d Clay said quickly, unable to withstand the dark brown gaze of Adam Cartwright from behind her,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes, true enough. \u00a0But you\u2019re new here, you\u2019re the brother he never knew, and you\u2019re different. \u00a0You take risks, and you\u2019re comfortable doing things that we\u2019ve always cautioned him not to do. \u00a0Do you understand what I mean?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNot really. I must be particular dense today, but perhaps you could spell it out for \u00a0me.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe mean that we would rather you didn\u2019t teach Joe your little card tricks, and didn\u2019t take him along to your gambling joints. \u00a0He\u2019s very fond of you, as Ma rightly said, and he\u2019s always loyal, to those he\u2019s fond of, so we\u2019d rather you didn\u2019t abuse that trust he has in you, is that clear enough?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Clay took a deep breath, and nodded, but he kept his eyes fixed on Adam\u2019s for some seconds before he looked at Marie,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s alright, I wouldn\u2019t want to hurt Joe in anyway at all.\u201d he replied, and then he smiled, \u201cMay I go now, please, sir?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam shrugged, and looked at Marie who nodded, and said that she would walk out with him, as she wanted to make sure Joe as alright. \u00a0 As they left the room together Adam watched them, anxiety gnawing at the back of his mind as he wondered just how effective their little talk had actually been with him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Now, Marie looked up at her son, and looking at his profile reminded her of Jean. She was remembering how much she had loved him, but how easily he seemed to get into trouble, leaving her to find the means of getting out of them.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMa?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes, Clay?\u201d she looked up at him again, blinked, and there he was, Clay Stafford,with his hazel eyes looking large and dreamy, and his lips parted in the smile she loved,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t you think you should slacken the reins a bit on Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHow do you mean, Clay?\u201d she looked puzzled and glanced from one to the other, Joe, still battling it out with the horse.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, seems to me that you and Adam, Hoss as well, tend to watch the kid like a shadow. \u00a0He\u2019s 17, ain\u2019t he? \u00a0Folk get married at that age, make decisions of life and death, yet it seems to me that you won\u2019t let Joe grow up. \u00a0I mean, telling me just now not to take him to the gaming tables! \u00a0Surely it\u2019s up to him to decide that? \u00a0I\u2019ll look out for him, sure enough, but ain\u2019t he old enough to make decisions like that for himself?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She sighed, and turned her attention back to Joe, who was struggling to prevent the horse from biting his leg off.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou think we\u2019re over protective?\u201d \u00a0she queried, and then continued, before he had time to talk, \u201cI suppose we are in a way. \u00a0When Adam was 17 years old \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s another thing, you keep comparing Joe with Adam. \u00a0They are two different beings, Ma. \u00a0Adam at 17 lived in a different world to Joe entirely.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI mean, that Adam\u2019s life was different. From what I hear he only ever knew his father closely, travelled through the wilds of Indian territory, in a wagon, until they hit this place. \u00a0Then you came along when he was about eleven, wasn\u2019t it? \u00a0 What I mean is, Adam\u2019s main focus, his hero if I could quote from our earlier conversation, was his Pa. \u00a0When Ben died, at 17, Adam took over as the one looking after this family. \u00a0That\u2019s what basically Joe has been raised by \u2026 you and Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou made that sound something other than a compliment.\u201d Marie said shortly, and turned her head away to observe the young man who was now dismounting, stiff legged, covered in dust, but triumphant. \u00a0\u201cI don\u2019t think Joe has come out of it badly.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe hasn\u2019t, Ma. \u00a0He\u2019s a great kid, he\u2019s going to become a great man. \u00a0But you\u2019ve got to let him make his own mistakes, Ma.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cLike you have?\u201d she turned to look at him, and he could see the anxiety on her face, and smiled and kissed her brow tenderly,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cLike I have, possibly, in a way. \u00a0I\u2019ve had a good life, Ma. \u00a0Grandmother provided well for me, but after we quarrelled, I had to make my own way in life. \u00a0It\u2019s a risky business at times. \u00a0I guess I could have married and settled down and made Grandma happy, but I wanted to get out in the world and explore. \u00a0Stretch the boundaries, so to speak. \u00a0Joe may want to do that one day too, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWith you?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMay be,\u201d he replied, \u201cWould that matter?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She felt her throat tighten. \u00a0To lose Joe from the Ponderosa was an unbearable thought, he had been her whole world, especially since Ben had died. \u00a0She watched him walking towards her now, his mane of hair glowing as the sun shone upon it, and his hazel eyes twinkling at her. \u00a0It made her heart ache with pride, the sight of him like that, so lanky and lean, and that big grin on his face.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHow\u2019d I do, Ma?\u201d he laughed, and she could hear the echo of Clay\u2019s easy laughter in the sound of his voice,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou did good, son, really good.\u201d she said, and for some reason her eyes filled with tears and she had to turn away.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 87<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lil slowed the horse and looked about her. \u00a0This was the first time she had actually plucked up the courage to travel all the way to the Ponderosa and she felt awed by having done so. \u00a0Now she was here she wondered what she was going to say without sounding an alarmist. \u00a0 She clambered down from the buggy and led the horse to the hitching rail, and secured the reins there.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam Cartwright had not joined his family at the corral to watch Joe. \u00a0He knew there was every possibility that his legs would give way, and although he didn\u2019t mind leaning rather manfully against things, he didn\u2019t want to appear as though he were being propped up by them.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He was sitting in the blue chair when the knock came to the door and he called out \u2018enter\u2019 without looking up. \u00a0 He was engrossed in studying a contract that had come through from Reno, and was already trying to work out the math involved in accomplishing the deal to the Ponderosa\u2019s benefit. \u00a0 It was when the door closed and a quiet \u2018Ahem\u2019 was audible in the room that he looked up, saw Lil, and put the contract papers down on the hearth.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cLil? \u00a0What are you doing here? I mean, sorry, that sounded rude. Come on in, sit down. \u00a0Do you want some coffee?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d love some, thank you.\u201d she replied, slipping her cloak off and putting it across a chair back, \u201cHow are you feeling now, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPretty much better, but I do have a problem with my legs still. Do you think you could call out to Hop Sing and ask him to get some coffee organised.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She smiled, looked at him as though she had never imagined she could ever be in such a position as sitting here, having coffee with him. \u00a0He watched as she walked quickly to the kitchen, heard the murmur of their voices, and then smiled as she returned, and took a seat in the chair opposite.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s good to see you, Lil.\u201d he said sincerely, \u201cHow\u2019re things in town?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh, just much as usual. \u00a0You know, nothing out of the ordinary.\u201d she smiled again, and looked at him thoughtfully, \u201cYou look thinner.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve not eaten much,\u201d he replied, feeling rather trapped, a pretty girl, obviously in thrall of him, watching his every move. \u00a0Very nice in dreams but in reality, rather claustrophobic. \u00a0\u201cYou\u2019ll enjoy the coffee,\u201d he said as Hop Sing bustled in and set the things down on the table, giving Adam a wink as he turned to go back to the kitchen, \u201cWould you like to do the pouring?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She did so willingly, and passed him a cup and saucer with a smile. \u00a0Then she sat down with her own and sipped it, said how good it was, and then fell into silence.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSo what\u2019s the problem?\u201d Adam asked after a short time had elapsed, \u201cOr have you really driven all this way from town just to see me?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, I mean, yes.\u201d she blushed prettily and buried her face into the steam from the coffee, before lifting her eyes and seeing his brown eyes twinkling over at her, she smiled, \u201cI did want to see you, Adam, I mean, Mr Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAdam will do fine, Lil.\u201d Adam leaned forward narrowing his eyes and looking into her face, \u201cWhy not just tell it as it is, you may find it a lot easier just to start at the beginning.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, I don\u2019t really know when the beginning started, to tell you the truth.\u201d she frowned and a little pucker appeared between her neatly plucked eyebrows, \u201cDid you see the man who shot you? The man they say David Carter paid to get you killed?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, I didn\u2019t.\u201d he looked at her thoughtfully, and leaned back in his chair, just the thought, the memory, of that time made his back ache, \u201cWhy\u2019d you ask?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe was called Harry Chambers, wasn\u2019t he?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHmm\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe used to come into the saloon and just sit around. \u00a0He never did do much, except sit and talk. \u00a0Friendly, you know?\u201d she sipped her coffee, and looked over the rim at him, \u201cOf course when we heard he was the man Carter paid to get you shot, we all got to talking about him one evening. \u00a0Hoss told me how he\u2019d seen him at the buggy and thought he was a preacher, and I\u2019d seen him riding out of town in the stage. \u00a0Hoss said he did too, and the man, Harry, was real friendly. \u00a0 He didn\u2019t seem the type of man to kill someone in cold blood.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, perhaps the man you\u2019re thinking of, isn\u2019t the man that shot me.\u201d Adam sighed, and looked at her thoughtfully, \u201cIs there a reason why you\u2019re telling me all this?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s just that I think he\u2019s back, in town, but not as a preacher this time.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHarry Chambers is back in town? \u00a0Have you told Roy?\u201d Adam would have jumped to his feet if he\u2019d been confident that his legs would have taken the weight, and Lil shook her head,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, Roy isn\u2019t in town. \u00a0He\u2019s in Placerville. \u00a0And anyway, I wasn\u2019t sure whether it was him or not, so I thought I would come here to find out if you had seen him, and could describe him to me.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019d have to ask Hoss, he was the one who saw the man.\u201d Adam raised a hand to his head, and rubbed his temple with his fingers, as though to smooth out the frown, \u201cSometimes, I have this dream where I see a face, or part of a face, and I wake up feeling panic stricken, my hearts racing, and I feel terrible pain. \u00a0After I\u2019ve woken up I get to thinking about what happened and how he just threw me down through those rocks. \u00a0I\u2019ve got to wondering if, perhaps, while he was carrying me up, slung over his back \u00a0.. But no, I guess I must be wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe would have had to move you about, you know, adjust to the weight, to work out how to put you down that hole. \u00a0Don\u2019t you think? \u00a0Perhaps you saw him then, just enough to make out his face should you see him again.\u201d she looked at him anxiously, \u201cDo you remember anything about him now?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam shook his head, and looked down at the rug, as though concentrating on the colours and pattern would help him to remember,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, it\u2019s only when I dream,\u201d he sighed, \u201cBut what makes you think he\u2019s back? How sure can you be that it is him? Why on earth would he come back here?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh, Mr Cartwright, I just don\u2019t know.\u201d she cried, alarmed now, \u201cIt just seemed so clear last night. \u00a0His voice was different, rougher like you\u2019d expect, but -,\u201d she paused and wrinkled her nose a little \u201che\u2019d shaved his head to make it look as though he were bald, but he isn\u2019t really. \u00a0You\u2019d not notice really, it was just that it made me think of a Monk and how they shave their heads. \u00a0And then there were his ears.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHis ears?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes. You see, it doesn\u2019t matter how good a disguise is, you can\u2019t change the shape of your ears, can you?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam looked at her in startled amazement and shook his head, slowly, from side to side,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, no, I don\u2019t suppose you can.\u201d he said in a soft voice, \u201cLil, what on earth made you think \u2026\u201d he sighed, \u201cYou\u2019re a very strange girl, you know. I doubt if anyone on earth would be bothered about looking at people\u2019s ears.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI wasn\u2019t intending to, but I\u2019ve never seen anyone with ear lobes like his before, except the once when I was talking to Harry Chambers. \u00a0When I was talking to this man last night, I noticed his ear lobes again and I thought, where have I seen them before, and it got me to watching him and noticing other things. Like his hair being shaved for example, and gestures. \u00a0Mr Cartwright, I\u2019m not making this up, I\u2019m sure it\u2019s him back again. \u00a0If it is him, I think he\u2019s back to finish off the job.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cFinish off the job?\u201d Adam repeated and he narrowed his eyes, \u201cYou mean, he\u2019s here to kill me?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes, sir, that\u2019s exactly what I mean.\u201d she put the cup down and stood up, \u201cI\u2019ll watch him closely from now on, and let you know if I get to hear anything. \u00a0You will be careful, won\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes, of course.\u201d Adam stood up, and walked slowly by her side to the door, \u201cLil, thank you for coming here and telling me this, but look, my dear, I think it is you who must be careful. \u00a0Don\u2019t go near the man. \u00a0Don\u2019t let him know you suspect him, don\u2018t even speak to him. \u00a0If possible, take a holiday and leave Virginia City for a while.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh I couldn\u2019t do that,\u201d she said and smiled, \u201cIt\u2019s kind of you to be worried about me, but I\u2019m sure he wouldn\u2019t hurt me at all. \u00a0Anyway, why should he, he doesn\u2019t even know I exist.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t be too sure of that,\u201d Adam replied, taking hold of her hand, \u201cHe\u2019s ruthless and cruel. \u00a0Please, Lil, be careful.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 87<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lil left the buggy and horse at the livery stable and made her way back to the boarding house. \u00a0She looked thoughtfully at the buildings as she passed them by, and remembered the families that had settled there, perhaps died, perhaps moved on. \u00a0She remembered Mr Cass\u2019 son getting shot by that Ed, and how Mr Cass changed so much as a result, getting all bad tempered and morose. \u00a0She could recall the day Widow Hawkins arrived, stepping from the stagecoach with a great big beautiful parrot on her shoulder.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She stopped for a moment to look at the people passing by and turned to watch as cowboys rode along the street. Roy Coffee came out to watch as well, his eyes moving along with the cowboys, making sure they were not going to cause trouble for this burgeoning town.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It was on a day similar to this that she had first seen Adam Cartwright. \u00a0A freckle faced lanky boy, with his wrists and ankles sticking out of his sleeves and pants, and his curly black hair too long. \u00a0She would never be able to tell anyone exactly when she realised she loved him. \u00a0Perhaps it was that time at the Fete when they were paddling in the stream and she cut her foot on a stone. \u00a0The water had been so cold that she had not noticed, but he saw the blood spiralling up to the surface and lifted her off her feet and hurried her over to the doctors. \u00a0Lil sighed, that had been a long time ago now, and today was probably the only other time he had ever physically touched her.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She saw Joy on the other side of the street, her hair neatly coiled under a smart new bonnet. \u00a0Perhaps if she were as pretty as Joy then things would have been better, Adam Cartwright would not have forgotten her so quickly or for so long.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHello, little lady, a penny for your thoughts,\u201d a voice boomed behind her and she jumped, so deeply engrossed in her thoughts that now she could feel her heart pounding so hard that she could barely breathe.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n What if it was him? \u00a0With wide frightened eyes she turned and blinked, and Paul Martin smiled at her, and took hold of her by the elbow,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAre you all right, my dear? \u00a0You look as though you had seen a ghost.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh, Dr Martin, I was day dreaming.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIs that what you call it?\u201d he said, and shook his head and smiled, \u201cTake care, Lily.\u201d and then he was gone and Lil groaned inwardly, and wondered why men kept calling her Lily instead of just accepting that her name was pure and simple Lil.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Then she saw him, walking along the side of the road with a mule on a rein. \u00a0He looked shabby and dirty, and the mule looked tired and hungry. \u00a0He didn\u2019t look at her as he passed, but she watched him toil along the road and wondered, once again, if she had made an error of judgement.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Mustering up boldness she picked up her skirts and ran after Paul, puffing a little by the time she reached him, and she plucked at his sleeve to get his attention while she was still breathless,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhy, Lily, are you alright?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI just wanted to ask you for a medical opinion. I know this may sound very stupid but do ear lobes change? I mean, I know it\u2019s silly, but can a person change the shape of their ears?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Paul looked at her with shock on his face. \u00a0It was probably the most ludicrous question he had ever been asked, and it was only the earnest look on her face that prevented him from laughing at her right there and then. \u00a0He pursed his lips thoughtfully,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cEr – on a strictly medical basis, I would say it was impossible, unless there was surgery performed. \u00a0Why do you ask?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt was something Adam Cartwright and I were discussing earlier today,\u201d she said simply, not sure whether his answer totally assured her or not.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAh Adam. Well, I\u2019m not surprised at anything he\u2019d bring out in a conversation. \u00a0 How did you find him? Was he well?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe said he was, but he can\u2019t walk very well. He said his legs keep bending – or something.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s just weakness, quite natural. \u00a0He\u2019s made a great improvement now, Lily, and should be able to get out and about in a week or even less, knowing him. Stubborn as a mule that one, although, having said that, Joe comes pretty close.\u201d \u00a0he smiled and pinched her cheek, just as if she were a small child again, \u201cTake care of \u00a0yourself, my dear.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She watched him go into his office and close the door behind him. \u00a0Then, slowly, she turned and crossed the road towards where she lodged.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Jack Hannah had kept his eyes on the road ahead, pulling the mule close behind him. \u00a0He had chosen this personna because there were so many miners spilling about all over town, who would be able to pin point just the one. \u00a0He wore what seemed to be a standard uniform for them all, red and black plaid shirt, tatty black cap, worn and torn pants. \u00a0He could melt in amongst the crowd and never be noticed.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He sighed. \u00a0Since the previous evening he had felt anxious, and that never really presupposed a good result on an assignment. \u00a0He thought it over carefully as he trudged through the dirt of Virginia City\u2019s streets, and knew that returning to a previous location was really too dangerous. \u00a0He had never done it before, and now he knew for sure that he would never do it again. Far too risky.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n But there was nothing he could do now, he had accepted the assignment. \u00a0Senator Buchanan was not a man to be trifle with either, and both men knew that they had something on the other now. \u00a0If he, Jack Hannah, changed his mind on carrying out this job, then Buchanan would just hire someone else, with Hannah on the top of the list. He knew too much and was disposable.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Jack changed direction now, he had left town and was heading towards the mining fields. \u00a0His claim was not far out of town, and he had a small little camp site perfect for panning gold, for thinking things out.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n People like him were a rarity, that was true enough but he could foresee a time when they would be more in demand. \u00a0 It was alright having these hired gunmen out west, but what good did they really accomplish? They\u2019d ride into town, make a big show of themselves and their gangs, terrorise people \u2026what good was that anyway? \u00a0 Not worth the money nor the risk. \u00a0Before too long they got shot as well. \u00a0Ten a penny they were, just mere upstarts.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Discipline and principle were the qualities that Jack Hannah lived his life by, and he didn\u2019t have a high regard for anyone who didn\u2019t have them in their lives. \u00a0 He pulled the mule along, thinking once again of the girl in the saloon. \u00a0Why had she looked at him so often, so earnestly during the evening? \u00a0 \u00a0It made no sense to \u00a0him at all. \u00a0 He had checked and rechecked himself in the mirror and knew that his disguise was perfect. \u00a0Jack Hannah and Harry Chambers were totally unalike. \u00a0 He had even walked past the Sheriff\u2019s office and been there when the sheriff had arrived back from Placerville. \u00a0Roy had not even looked at him twice.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He was getting paranoid about the girl. \u00a0That meant only one thing and that was to get this job over and done with as soon as possible.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell done, Joe,\u201d Adam slapped his brother on the back, \u201cI heard all about it from Hoss. \u00a0Sounds like you pulled off a good ride there.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYeah, it was great. He fought me back though, a real tough one. \u00a0I wish you\u2019d seen it, Adam.\u201d \u00a0Joe pushed his fingers through his hair and laughed. \u00a0He ached in every bone, but it was worth it. \u00a0Clay had been lavish in praise and mightily impressed. \u00a0 It had been worth it for that alone.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam smiled and looked over at Hoss, raised his eyebrows and indicated that he\u2019d like a private word with him. \u00a0With some little assistance he made his way out side, to sit on the chair on the porch, with Hoss opposite him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong, Adam? You painin\u2019 or summat?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, nothing like that, it\u2019s just that I had a visitor while you were watching Joe at the corral. \u00a0Lil from the saloon.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat? Little Lil \u2026 why?\u201d Hoss\u2019 face crumpled into a question mark, as his blue eyes gazed at his brother \u201cHey, she likes you a lot \u00a0you know that, don\u2019t\u2019cha?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt wasn\u2019t anything like that, Hoss. \u00a0She\u2019s worried that the man Carter hired to kill me, is back in town.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSeriously?\u201d \u00a0Hoss looked shocked, \u201cAre you sure?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHmm, that\u2019s the trouble, she\u2019s not 100 % \u00a0sure. \u00a0Tell me, Hoss, can you remember what he looked like, the man you saw?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam looked at the younger man\u2019s face as it blanked, then took on a fierce determined look of concentration. \u00a0Then Hoss sighed and shook his head,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, can\u2019t recall exactly. \u00a0He was a big man, broad shouldered. \u00a0I can\u2019t even recall what colour eyes he had\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat about his ears?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHis WHAT?\u201d Hoss looked at Adam in amusement, then shook his head and chuckled, \u201cWal, I guess he had two of \u2019em, one of each side of his head like most of us, and they were kinda normal looking. \u00a0You are jokin\u2019 me, ain\u2019t\u2019cha?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cLil had a theory. \u00a0That\u2019s all.\u201d Adam sighed, and sat with his hands clasped between his knees, looking down at the ground, \u201cIf he is here, he could be out to cause more trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIf he is here, then trouble, brother, is what he\u2019s gonna git!\u201d Hoss growled.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 88.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n A week trickled by which saw a vast improvement in Adam\u2019s physical condition. \u00a0So much so that he was able to walk quite easily from the house to the stables, but after one attempt to ride out on Sport it was realised that more patience was yet to be exercised. \u00a0However, he was able to get to the stable each day and groom his horse, and do various physical chores that had been considered too difficult.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Marie watched him one morning as he left the house, whistling under his breath. \u00a0 She twisted her wedding ring round and round her finger nervously, so that eventually Hoss approached her and put his arms around her and gave her what he called one of his bear hugs, which mean he lifted her right off her feet and swung her around.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHoss, put me down this instant,\u201d she laughed and pretended to beat his chest in protest.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s better, Ma. \u00a0I didn\u2019t like that worried look on your face. \u00a0You seem to look worried a lot lately and it\u2019s good to see you laugh and smile.\u201d he put her down and looked at her, a big smile on his face which always brought a corresponding one from her.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAdam told you about the man being here again, didn\u2019t he?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh, the man with the ears?\u201d Hoss replied simply,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d she looked at him a little confused and then shook her head, \u201cLil told him she thought the man David had hired to kill Adam was back in town. \u00a0 I c an\u2019t help but worry, Hoss. \u00a0What if he\u2019s out there, prowling around, stalking us and waiting for a chance to get Adam again. \u00a0I worry every time he goes outside in case that man\u2019s there. \u00a0I keep finding myself waiting for a gun to go off.\u201d she shivered, \u201cHoss, why is it that whenever it looks as though life has sorted itself out something comes along and messes it up again?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hoss shook his head and put his arm around her shoulders and drew her closed,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI dunno, Ma, it just happens. \u00a0I guess it stops us getting too comfortable, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, just for once, Hoss, I would like to get really comfortable. \u00a0Wouldn\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hoss hugged her close and planted a kiss on her forehead,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cEven we may have different ideas on what is really comfortable, Ma.\u201d \u00a0he laughed, and walked to the door, leaving her standing by the table, \u201cI\u2019ve wood to cut down and prepare, Ma, so if Joe and Clay want to help me out, tell \u2018em I\u2019ll be in Blackbottom Creek.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u2026.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe and Clay were always comfortable together. \u00a0Over the past weeks their kinship had grown closer, and Joe found himself wondering if Clay would stay on the Ponderosa for ever. \u00a0 He had mentioned it to Clay as they rode along, and was waiting for his reply when they saw the man ahead of them. \u00a0He was tall with broad shoulders, hauling a mule behind him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWho\u2019s he?\u201d Clay asked Joe, a slight crease in \u00a0his brow.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know, but whoever he is, he\u2019s trespassing on Ponderosa land.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSo what do you do when you find someone trespassing?\u201d Clay asked.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cTell them, then warn them to get off.\u201d \u00a0Joe replied, and drew his gun from the holster as he rode towards the stranger.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHey, Mister, you\u2019re trespassing on Ponderosa land.\u201d and he pulled back the trigger as the man looked up with a piercing glare. \u00a0He looked at both Clay and Joe, raking them over from head to foot,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAnd just who are you?\u201d he asked gruffly, yanking the mule towards him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m Joseph Cartwright and this is my brother, Clay Stafford. \u00a0 You\u2019d best turn yourself and your donkey around and get back to where you should be.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Jack Hannah nodded, and stared hard at them both again.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m new around these here parts, Mr Cartwright. \u00a0Just lost my bearings that\u2019s all.\u201d and he yanked once again on the mule\u2019s reins and pulled it around as he retraced his steps .<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDo you need a hand to direct you on your way from the main road?\u201d Joe asked considerately, putting the pistol back in its holster.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo need, I\u2019ll find it. \u00a0Sorry if I caused you inconvenience, sir.\u201d and Hannah touched the peak of his cap politely, bowed his head and trudged onwards.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe was mighty civil about it,\u201d Clay said, glancing back over his shoulder at the miner trudging along the track behind them now, \u201cI don\u2019t think I\u2019d like to have a gun waved under my nose after admitting to an innocent mistake.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cCan\u2019t take risks,\u201d Joe replied, \u201cToo kind a treatment makes \u2018em think they can track back and set up camp. \u00a0We\u2019ve had a lot of trouble with squatters in the past. \u00a0They burn woodland, they even raid our cattle. \u00a0They seem to think because we own this land we can afford to be generous to anyone who thinks they deserve a few acres of it. \u00a0They have to know that they need a quick adjustment to their thinking.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Clay said nothing. \u00a0He looked back over his shoulder, but now there was no sign of the miner and his mule.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Jack Hannah was satisfied. \u00a0He now knew exactly who was the man Buchanan wanted to have tidied up. \u00a0He was quite happy to walk the extra few miles out of his way that morning to have found out that bit of information so effortlessly. \u00a0Thanks, Joe.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 89<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou are joking, aren\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe Cartwright looked at his brother, Clay, with horror in his eyes. \u00a0Then he glanced hurriedly over his shoulder, and grabbed at Clay\u2019s sleeve, pulling him away from the edge of the sidewalk and into the shelter of shadow from the building. \u00a0He took a deep breath, as it was obvious from the grin on his brother\u2019s face and the bemused expression in the hazel eyes that Clay, if he was joking, was enjoying Joe\u2019s discomfiture.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cLook, Clay, do you realise how much money we have here?\u201d he spoke metaphorically as any money they could have had in their possession was still in the bank vaults.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDo you realise how much money we would have if we invested it?\u201d Clay replied, and raised his eyebrows.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, I don\u2019t want to think about that, Clay. \u00a0 If Adam even suspected \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cLeave Adam out of this, Joe. \u00a0Look, think for yourself for once, huh?\u201d Clay frowned, narrowed his eyes and grabbed at Joe\u2019s arm, his fingers gently squeezing into Joe\u2019s flesh.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI am thinking for myself, Clay.\u201d Joe replied and pushed Clay\u2019s hand away, \u201cYou don\u2019t seem to realise that I do things when and how I want to do them, and if they seem to follow through on what Adam and Ma say, it\u2019s because I like to do it that way too. \u00a0Just forget any idea of investing the payroll, Clay, because I don\u2019t like the idea, not one bit.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHave it your way, Joe.\u201d Clay laughed, his casual couldn\u2019t care less laugh that usually got Joe laughing, but not this time. \u00a0\u201cLook, Joe, it was just a suggestion. \u00a0 You said yourself that you needed some money to get Joy a present for when she left town, didn\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYeah, but I\u2019ll get it out of my allowance, thanks.\u201d Joe turned and began to stride out towards the bank. \u00a0Clay\u2019s suggestion had caught him unawares and even now the whole idea of using the monthly payroll as the stake in a card game caused his heart to hammer twice as fast as usual beneath his ribs. \u00a0He took a deep breath and pushed the bank doors open, and smiled over at the cashier,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHi, Joe, what can I do fer yer?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI just came to collect the monthly payroll, Seth\u201d Joe replied, and put down the relevant withdrawal slip, casting an anxious glance over at Clay who was lounging against the counter.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s all right, Joe, I won\u2019t touch the stuff,\u201d Clay chuckled, and turned to face the window and watch people walking by while Joe collected up the money.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHi, Mr Stafford, how\u2019re you doin\u2019?\u201d Seth asked as he counted out the money for the Ponderosa pay roll, \u201cI hear there\u2019s a big game on over at the Sazarac today.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIs there?\u201d Clay\u2019s eyes lit up, then he shrugged, \u201cWell, sorry, I won\u2019t be there I\u2019m afraid, I have to escort my little brother home with the payroll. \u00a0 Perhaps another time.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSure thing, Mr Stafford. \u00a0Is that right then, you and Joe are brothers?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHalf-brothers,\u201d Joe snapped, and grabbed the bag with the money in it.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHalf-brothers,\u201d Clay reiterated with a smile and wink at Seth, \u201cNo relation to Hoss and Adam though.\u201d and chuckling to himself he strolled out of the bank behind Joe.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhy\u2019d you say that about not being related to Hoss and Adam? \u00a0You\u2019re step-brothers ain\u2019t\u2019cha?\u201d \u00a0Joe muttered as they walked through the town and back to the horses, for some reason it had pained him to hear Clay so casually dismiss Hoss and Adam from any relationship with him, almost as though he had not real feelings for them or something.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh, well, step-brothers, half-brothers – what\u2019s the difference?\u201d Clay sighed and glanced around, \u201cLook, I\u2019m dry after that ride into town. \u00a0How about a drink, huh? \u00a0My round?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYour round? \u00a0That has to be a first,\u201d Joe gave a slight smile, and then nodded, \u201cDon\u2019t see why not, there\u2019s plenty of time. \u00a0 I\u2019ll get the mail later.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s my boy,\u201d Clay replied, and slapped his brother fondly on the back.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Roy Coffee watched from his office window as the two men passed on the opposite side of the street. \u00a0 He narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips, and then with an anxious look on his face returned to his chair behind the desk.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo denying they\u2019re kin,\u201d his deputy observed, \u201cSure have a similar look, don\u2019t they?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI suppose they do,\u201d Roy sighed, and pulled out a big brown envelope from the desk drawer. \u00a0 He emptied it\u2019s contents upon the desk and slowly looked through them. \u00a0Wanted posters \u2026 he seldom posted them all, kept most in the drawer for filing and observing. \u00a0There was only so much room on a notice board, and the saloons and other public places often refused to have them on the premises, said they were too upsetting to the public. \u00a0Roy thought that was stupid talk, but when they dug their heels in he had little choice but to do as they said. \u00a0\u201cI had some posters come through the other day. I swear there was one \u2026\u201d he shuffled them about, peering at one, putting it down, picking up another, until he ended up with them all back in a neat pile. \u201cMmm, very odd.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s that?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSeems I\u2019m missing some posters.\u201d Roy muttered, pulling the drawer wider and scrabbling around with his hand to see if groping around in the dark narrow confines would reveal the lost posters more successfully than having them all laid out in the open on top of the desk would have done.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think so, Roy,\u201d the other man yawned, stretched and walked over to the stove, \u201cyou\u2019re the only one who ever looks at the things.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Roy scratched his chest through the layers of clothing he wore, and wondered why seeing Joe with his \u2018new\u2019 brother had sent him checking wanted posters in the first place!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Clay was obviously restless. He drank his beer and made little conversation which was unusual for him. \u00a0 Joy and Lil were both absent and there were few customers present. \u00a0Charley mentioned about the \u2018big game\u2019 being held at the Sazarac as the enticement for his clientele. \u00a0Clay sighed and turned his glass round and round in his hands, and then looked over at Joe,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt wouldn\u2019t hurt to watch,\u201d he said mournfully.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI think it would be best if we just collected the mail and got out of town,\u201d Joe replied, clutching at the bag of money anxiously.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou go get the mail, I\u2019ll see you later.\u201d Clay stood up, waved to Charley, \u201cLook, don\u2019t be so worried, you\u2019ve got the payroll all neat and tidy in the bag, if I do join in it\u2019ll be with my own money, that\u2019s if it meets the stakes, alright?\u201d he put a reassuring hand on Joe\u2019s shoulder and smiled down at him, and then, before Joe could open his mouth, he had walked away.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe felt restless now. \u00a0He finished his drink, looked around for some sighting of Joy, and upon seeing nothing of her, he bade farewell to Charley and left the saloon. \u00a0There was very little mail waiting for the Ponderosa, so after he had put it safely in his saddlebags, he walked over to the Sazarac to see what was going on for himself.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Perhaps he had expected it, so was not too alarmed at the sight of seeing Clay firmly ensconced at the gaming table. \u00a0His brother had his hat pushed to the back of his head and was casually thumbing through the hand he had been dealt. \u00a0 He said nothing as Joe pushed his way to the front of the crowd. \u00a0The tension was high. Not as high as the stake which Joe noticed was far more than Clay had available. \u00a0Joe realised that his brother must have put in an I.O.U and felt his heart sink.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He walked behind his brother and looked at the cards that he had been dealt. \u00a0He hadn\u2019t thought his heart could sink any lower, but it did!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cClay, quit now, d\u2019you hear?\u201d he hissed in Clay\u2019s ear.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAre you crazy?\u201d Clay snapped back in a low voice, \u201cOne thing you have to understand about me, Joe, is that I never quit.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe glanced around at the other players, all of them looking at their cards but listening to every word they were saying and checking out to gauge how it would affect Clay\u2019s standard of play. \u00a0 Joe backed away and took a deep breath. \u00a0 He could feel sweat breaking out on his brow at the thought of Clay losing and he instinctively clutched more tightly to the bag of money. \u00a0He had not thought it safe to leave in the saddlebags, but now he wondered if he had possibly made an error in that assumption.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Several hands later, and half the payroll money was in the pot. \u00a0 Every man there had hopes of pocketing Ponderosa money and the amount of adrenalin that was flowing, along with the beer, created an atmosphere that was nothing less than electrifying. \u00a0Silence permeated the room. \u00a0Every eye was on the table where the cards were being shuffled, dealt out, scanned, and played out.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n There was no doubt about Clay\u2019s aptitude at play. \u00a0He was cool, and seemed totally unbothered by the state of his, or rather, the Ponderosa\u2019s finances. \u00a0He leaned back in his chair and surveyed the men seated there and then laid down his hand. \u00a0There was a gasp, he had put down a Royal Flush.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDoggone it, I didn\u2019t see that coming.\u201d Will Hansard muttered, as he set down his cards, way short of a full hand.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo one did,\u201d Zedekiah Murphy growled as he watched Clay scooping up the winnings, which included all the money that was to pay for his months mortgage to the bank, and the hardware bill that was outstanding by six months. \u00a0\u201cHow come you won that hand, Stafford?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBy playing with you nincompoops,\u201d came the cool but incautious reply, and Clay grinned, \u201cHere, Joe, lend me a hand will you?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d Zedekiah cried, \u201cNo, just leave that money be, until you prove you didn\u2019t cheat.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Clay paused, his hands immediately stopped moving over the money, but stayed still. \u00a0He narrowed his eyes, and looked at everyone of them as though suddenly he had stepped into the middle of a pitful of vipers and needed to know the way out.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t cheat, Mister.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, I say you did. \u00a0So do the rest of us\u2026ain\u2019t that right, boys?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cCalm down,\u201d Hansard said, he was the oldest man there and a member of the Town Council. \u00a0With things turning ugly he was more concerned about what his wife would say if there were trouble than whether anyone was about to get hurt. \u00a0He stood up and reached out a hand towards Zedekiah, \u201cCalm down, Zed.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cGet out of here, Hansard,\u201d Murphy replied, his eyes fastened onto Clay\u2019s \u201cI say you cheated, Mister, and I meant every word. \u00a0I reckon you\u2019ve cheated every game you ever played here.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s stupid talk, boy,\u201d Clay drawled.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Zedekiah\u2019s hand moved towards his gun, but his fingers only slapped the leather of his holster, in dismay he looked down, then up, and found himself looking into the barrel of his opponents gun. \u00a0Clay clicked back the trigger,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019d best apologise.\u201d Clay hissed.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, I ain\u2019t,\u201d Zedekiah cried out of desperation as he looked at the money which meant the loss of his home, farm equipment, everything he held dear.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cClay, leave it be,\u201d Joe said loudly, \u201cLeave it, just take the money for the payroll and leave the rest.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAre you crazy, Joe?\u201d Clay looked over at his little brother and his mouth dropped open as he saw Joe standing behind Zedekiah, with a gun in his hand, but his own gun still in its holster. \u00a0He glanced from Zedekiah, to the money, to Joe. \u00a0Then with a shrug he scooped up as much of the money as he could manage, and with a sneer at Murphy left the table.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n As they reached the door Joe put Zedekiah\u2019s gun on the counter. \u00a0 He had got behind him as soon as he realised there was going to be trouble, and without Zedekiah noticing, he had slipped the gun from the holster. \u00a0It was easy, Zedekiah had been too angry mouthing off to have noticed.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThanks, Joe,\u201d Clay said quietly as they mounted their horses, \u201cYou did well in there.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe said nothing, if Clay had expected any commendation from his little brother, he was disappointed. \u00a0 As for Joe, he felt that his hero had suddenly become the stuff mere mortals are made from and felt – cheated.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 90<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMa,\u201d Clay smiled over at her and winked, \u201cDid I ever tell you that you make great cake?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Marie laughed, Clay had been with them only a matter of weeks and already he seemed comfortable at calling her Ma. \u00a0She watched as he stuffed cake into his mouth and with the remainder of it in his hand he ran up the stairs, two at a time, to Adam\u2019s room. \u00a0She frowned then, remembering the account Joe had given to them of what had taken place in town, and knew that there was going to be an altercation between the two men as result. \u00a0She was still too unsure of Clay\u2019s feelings for them to feel confident about the outcome and the thought of his leaving them made her heart sink.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam turned from the window as the door opened, and looked over at Clay who bounded into the room and closed the door much the same as Joe. \u00a0He wiped his mouth and nodded, before flopping into the chair and regarding Adam with a serious look on his face, and a twinkle in his eye.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell? \u00a0I guess this is time for my knuckles to be rapped, huh?\u201d he grinned then, and folded his arms across his chest, watching the expressions on Adam\u2018s face with scant regard.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam shrugged and leaned against the window frame, folded his arms across his chest and viewed Clay with a rather quizzical expression on his face,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cTell me something, Clay, why did it take you so long to come here?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d Clay raised his eyes in surprise, \u201cHey, I only stopped by to get some of Ma\u2019s cake, I -.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, I meant, why did it take you so long to come to the Ponderosa on the excuse of visiting your father\u2019s grave? \u00a0After all, you knew about Ma being here when you were 14 years old and saw all the details of her marriage to Pa in the Town Hall registry. \u00a0You knew she was here then, so why did you leave it until now to get here?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cShucks, is that what has been bothering you all these weeks?\u201d Clay laughed, \u201cI guess I kinda slipped up letting that little detail out,\u201d he scratched his head and then stretched out his legs, \u201cWell, you see, Adam, it was like this – the de Marigney family, particularly my Grandmother, didn\u2019t like my mother. \u00a0To be honest, they hated her. \u00a0She was not in their class, and she had a bad reputation. \u00a0I shan\u2019t go into details but it obviously didn\u2019t bother your father too much, which was very commendable of him,\u201d he noticed the colour mounting around Adam\u2019s neck, and took a deep breath, \u201cLook, you asked for the truth, so I\u2019m giving you it, so don\u2019t get heated up as a result, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cGo on,\u201d Adam sighed, and bowed his head, \u201cI\u2019m listening.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI couldn\u2019t ask people about Marie, so I went to the Registry to check on whether or not it was true that she was dead, and to find out about my father. \u00a0Yes, I knew she had married your father and was now living here on the Ponderosa. Yes, I didn\u2019t explain that in detail to her when I came, but what was the point? \u00a0Women want to hear, what they want to hear, which means that sometimes it\u2019s best not to tell them every little detail. \u00a0You know how they cling on to details and fling them at you whenever there\u2019s a falling out? \u00a0I just kept the information secret, what\u2019s wrong with that? \u00a0When my grandmother and I parted company, I had to fend for myself to a certain extent. \u00a0She was pretty generous though in that she still forwarded me an allowance every month on which I could live, perhaps she hoped I would go back home, but I was enjoying life away from them all.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He looked at Adam and frowned, wondering why the inquisition, why the need to go into all this now. \u00a0He stroked his moustache and waited for some comment, but none came.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI got caught \u00a0up with living my own life. \u00a0That\u2019s all really. \u00a0For the first time ever I was not accountable to anyone, I could do what I wanted, when I wanted. \u00a0It was only when she died and my allowance stopped that reality set in so I began to travel. \u00a0It didn\u2019t even occur to me to come here until after the incident in Texas.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSo in a way you wanted a cover?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh, is that what it\u2019s called nowadays? \u00a0Well, I wanted to see if she were still alive, and how things would work out, and I wanted to meet my brother, my own flesh and blood. \u00a0I just wanted to belong, to someone, somewhere. \u00a0Is that so wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, of course not.\u201d Adam frowned, he couldn\u2019t really in all honesty accept that to be the truth because Clay was not a \u2018belonging\u2019 kind of person. \u00a0 In Adam\u2019s opinion the man was restless, the type of person who would find any attachment claustrophobic after a while, and would want to shrug it away as soon as possible. But, he sighed, he had to accept the fact that he couldn\u2019t read hearts, and there were times when he would just have to accept what he was told. \u00a0If Clay believed what he was saying to be true, then it would have to be accepted as such.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt was changing my name that made me think of finding Marie. \u00a0All I had ever been told about her was negative, yet in a way it was tantalising to know that I had a mother out there somewhere who was – different. \u00a0Clay Stafford, I thought of her. \u00a0A bit like a moth to a flame I guess.\u201d he smiled, a flashing easy come, easy go kind of smile that made Adam wonder which of them was the flame, Marie or Clay, in which case, which of them was the one to be burnt in the future.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Again silence, Adam remained with his head downcast, leaning against the window frame, his legs stretched out and his feet crossed at the ankles. \u00a0Clay looked at him thoughtfully, wondering what he was thinking, and when the lecture would set in about being more responsible, living up to his obligations as a brother. \u00a0He glanced around the room, and saw the sextant and telescope on the side table, and got up to take a look at them. \u00a0He had never seen a sextant before and picked it up carefully.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYour Pa was a sailor, I believe?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes, that\u2019s right. \u00a0When he married my mother though, he gave up the sea and started a business as a Chandler.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAnd your Ma died when you were born? \u00a0That must have been tough for him.\u201d he picked up the telescope and put it to his eye, then weighed it between his fingers.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes, I guess it was,\u201d Adam agreed, picking up a pencil and subconsciously testing the point against his finger.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve had a rather adventurous life one way or another, Adam. \u00a0Guess that\u2019s why you feel so responsible now, huh? \u00a0For your family and everything.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMaybe so,\u201d Adam sighed, and was now the one wondering what Clay was up to, and why the questions. \u00a0It occurred to him that this was a typical playing for time gambit and shrugged, he had the time, and perhaps it would serve some useful purpose.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJoe told me how your Pa died, how responsible you felt about it all.\u201d Clay looked down at the maps, tracing the outline of the African coast with his forefinger. \u00a0He could sense the tension in Adam now, but did not look back, \u201cOdd how life turns out though. \u00a0You knew my father longer than I did, and you\u2019ve been son to my mother for years, something I never was. \u00a0Takes some thinking about, the irony of it all, doesn\u2019t it?\u201d he looked at Adam now, \u201cWhat was my father like?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you remember of him?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNot much. \u00a0He was just a shadowy figure, flitting in and out of my life, for maybe two years of it. \u00a0Then he disappeared, and one day Grandmother said he was dead, and buried a long way from home.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam looked thoughtfully at Clay, and then nodded, he pushed himself away from the window frame and walked to his desk, pulled out the chair and sat down,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re a lot like your father. \u00a0Some mannerisms, inflection in your voice, casual attitude to life.\u201d he caught Clay\u2019s eye at that comment, and Clay bowed his head, \u201cHe was a sick man when he got here, but he was a man with ideas, and he helped with the building of this house. \u00a0He told us stories of New Orleans, his life there, and about his beautiful wife whom he adored, and his son whom he loved. \u00a0I recall him telling me stories about his family, how they were gamblers, it was in the blood like sea water was in my fathers. \u00a0He chose the spot where he wanted to be buried, he used to go there a lot to write in his diary, and when he was really weak, Pa would take him there to rest, read or just meditate.\u201d \u00a0Adam looked down at the floor as he tried to put together what memories he had of Jean de Marigney, \u201cIt was the way he spoke about Marie that compelled Pa to leave us here and go to New Orleans to tell her about Jean\u2019s death.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYour father was a good man, Adam, to have gone to such lengths for a man such as my father.\u201d \u00a0Clay spoke softly, and the other man in the room barely caught the words.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJean was good to Hoss, told him stories, kept him amused. \u00a0He was my father\u2019s friend at a time when my father needed one. \u00a0It was good for them both, and it brought Marie into our lives.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Clay nodded, a slight frown on his brow, and he put down the telescope back upon the maps and turned to look at Adam Cartwright, as though seeing him for the first time,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know how long I\u2019ll be here for, Adam, but I hope we can be friends too,\u201d he said walking towards him with his hand outstretched, \u201cI\u2019m sorry about the payroll money, as well, it caused Joe concern, and I\u2019m right sorry for it.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s alright, Clay,\u201d Adam said, shaking the proffered hand, \u201cJust don\u2019t do it again.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Clay smiled, his eyes twinkled, \u201cNo, sir, I won\u2019t.\u201d he replied.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam watched Clay stroll out of the room and turned back to the window. \u00a0Joe was coming out of the stable, and looked over at Clay, raised a hand in greeting, but he didn\u2019t rush up to him like an overexcited puppy as he had done previously. \u00a0 Clay glanced over his shoulder at his brother as though wondering why the change, and perhaps he realised because he bowed his head and continued on towards his horse. \u00a0 Adam followed him with his eyes, and watched the younger man take his horse into the stable, by which time Joe was indoors.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He was about to leave the room and go down stairs to the big room when a rider came into the yard. \u00a0 Roy Coffee looked around the empty yard and pushed back his hat, then dismounted and tethered his horse to the hitching rail. \u00a0 He walked to the house, taking his hat off now, as he expected the door to be opened by Marie.<\/p>\n \u201cIs Adam here?\u201d he asked Marie once the preliminary greetings had been accomplished and he was walking into the room.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHere, Roy,\u201d Adam said, as he came down the stairs and confronted the sheriff who looked at him with a vague expression on his face, \u201cWhat can I do for you?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cFirst off, I\u2019d like to saw how good it is to see you up on your feet again, Adam. \u00a0I guess you\u2019ll be back in town before too long?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI will.\u201d Adam smiled, and indicated a chair upon which Roy could sit.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe glanced up from his chair and nodded a greeting and smile at Roy, while Marie disappeared to organise a cup of Roy\u2019s favourite coffee – and cake, of course.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s the problem, Roy?\u201d Adam asked, leaning forward in his chair towards the sheriff who seemed to now be deep in thought and unsure how to get started.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been to Placerville,\u201d Roy took the plunge and dived right into the conversation, \u201cThe sheriff there has a bigger office than I do\u201d \u00a0 Adam and Joe exchanged glances, Joe raised an eyebrow as though doubting the sheriff\u2019s sanity, Roy continued regardless, \u201cHe has more wall space is what I\u2019m meaning.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWall space?\u201d \u00a0Adam intoned, and nodded, as though this was obviously something to consider of serious concern, \u201cDo you want a bigger office, Roy?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, doggone it, I don\u2019t want a bigger office. \u00a0I\u2019m just saying that he had bigger walls space and could put up more posters than I can. \u00a0The result is that I saw faces on his walls that I have not seen on mine.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry about that, Roy\u201d Adam nodded his head again, at the back of his mind a memory stirred and he felt he knew where this conversation was heading.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cRoy? \u00a0Have some cake with your coffee? \u00a0I made it fresh this afternoon.\u201d Marie coo\u2019d and smiled at him endearingly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhy, thank you, m\u2019dear.\u201d Roy took some cake and put it on a plate which he somehow balanced on the arm of the settee. \u00a0\u201cThere was one particular poster that made me wonder where had I seen a face like that before!\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt wasn\u2019t Joe, was it?\u201d Adam quipped, and they all laughed as though the whole idea was preposterous.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, but it did rather remind me of the young man who claims to be Joe\u2019s brother.\u201d Roy said, suddenly straight faced and looking at them with cool appraisal.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou mean Clay? \u00a0On a wanted poster?\u201d Marie exclaimed, \u201cWhy, Roy, how could you think such a thing?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Roy looked at her fondly, and smiled. \u00a0Marie had no practise at dissembling. \u00a0She was honest and as easy to read as an open book. \u00a0She turned her head away and looked at Adam, as though whatever had gone wrong was obviously his fault. \u00a0He raised his eyebrows and shrugged slightly, then turned to Roy<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou saw a poster with Clay\u2019s name on it?\u201d he said blandly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s this all about?\u201d Joe asked now, sitting up erect and looking at Roy in a more aggressive mode, \u201cAre you accusing Clay of some kind of crime ?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMurder,\u201d Roy said with his face showing no emotion whatsoever.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMurder?\u201d Joe repeated, and slumped back in his seat.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMurder,\u201d Marie sighed, and shook her head before standing up, once again she looked at Adam before she turned again to face Roy \u201cIt\u2019s not true, Roy, Clay never murdered anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cClay Stafford, wanted for murder, is that it?\u201d Adam asked coolly, looking directly at Roy.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cClayton de Marigney in fact,\u201d Roy said, and he looked from one to another of them, and received blank expressions from each one of them. \u00a0\u201cNow, look, I\u2019m not stupid, and I know I wasn\u2019t here years back, but if I recall rightly you weren\u2019t called Stafford when you married Ben, were you?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat has that got to do with anything?\u201d Joe blurted out, and jumped up to join his mother who was still standing, motionless, by her chair.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cLook, Joe, I have a job to do, and if there\u2019s a murderer running around loose, then I need to know who and where he is and arrest him, for Pete\u2019s sake. \u00a0That\u2019s what the county\u2019s paying me for, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHas Lil seen you lately?\u201d Adam suddenly said, which caught Roy wrong footed for he turned to Adam in amazement.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cLil? \u00a0You mean Lil from the saloon?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s the one.\u201d Adam nodded, \u201cIt\u2019s just you saying you needed to arrest murderer\u2019s who are running loose in town reminded me of a conversation I had with Lil recently. \u00a0She believes that the man who tried to kill me -\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHarry Chambers?\u201d Roy narrowed his eyes.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s right, only he calls himself something different now,\u201d he frowned and then shook his head in disbelief, \u201cEither I\u2019ve forgotten what it is or else she didn\u2019t tell me. I was still pretty ill at the time.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cForgotten what?\u201d Roy asked.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHis name. His incognito, alias, whatever.\u201d Adam shrugged impatiently, \u201cIf he\u2019s in town, Roy, you should be doing all you can before I end up dead next time.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Roy narrowed his eyes suspiciously, and once again looked from one to the other of them, then he shook his head,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAre you kiddin\u2019 me, Adam? \u00a0It\u2019s just that I\u2019m a bit short of good humour just now and if you\u2019re giving me the runaround to get out of telling me more about this Clayton feller, I\u2019m not going to be very happy.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cRoy, have you ever known us to break the law?\u201d Marie asked, her voice brittle and her back straight as if she had just been insulted in the most indecent manner possible, \u201cHave you? \u00a0Do you seriously think I would harbour a murderer in my house?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNot any murderer, Marie. \u00a0I\u2019m talking about a man who claims to be your son.\u201d Roy stood up and picked up his hat, he looked at them all in a very serious manner, as befitted an officer of the law, \u201cLook, you know it\u2019s an offence to harbour a criminal, and if I find that this Clayton is here, it will mean serious consequences for you all, you realise that, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIf my son were proven to be a criminal, for whatever crime, then I would turn him in, Roy. \u00a0If any of my sons were proven, by law, to be a criminal, you know I would do the same, so please, don\u2019t insult me with threats.\u201d Marie replied stiffly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPerhaps you should check into these allegations, Roy, and make sure of them before you go any further.\u201d Adam said quietly, standing up and walking slowly to the door beside the sheriff, \u201cAnd, talk to Lil, as soon as possible, would you?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI will, Adam. \u00a0Thanks for the cake, Marie,\u201d he called over his shoulder as he stepped out of the house. \u00a0\u201cAdam?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes, Roy?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWho is Clay Stafford?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cClay? \u00a0He\u2019s Marie\u2019s son.\u201d Adam smiled, but his eyes were blank.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSo, then, who\u2019s Clayton de Marigney?\u201d and Roy gave Adam a very stern look, but Adam just shrugged,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cGuess you\u2019ll have to ask him, when you get him.\u201d Adam looked straight ahead, he didn\u2019t like to play word games with Roy, he had too much respect for him, and inwardly, it irritated him that Clay had put them in such a position as this one.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He raised a hand in farewell as Roy mounted his horse and rode out of the yard. \u00a0As he did so, Clay came out of the stables, and, rubbing his hands together, he walked over to Adam, glanced over his shoulder at the retreating sheriff and asked Adam what he had come for,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cTo arrest you,\u201d Adam said quietly, his eyes still fixed on the cloud of dust slowly settling back to the ground.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cArrest me? \u00a0What for?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMurder.\u201d Adam replied, and turned, gave Clay an appraising look, before turning back into the house.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 91<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Roy wasted no time in looking for Lil, and found her cleaning the tables at the saloon. \u00a0There were several customers there, solitary men who liked a drink and as little communication with others as possible. The new Bank Manager was one of them and nodded over at Roy with a look on his face that signified that he would have preferred it if Roy had not found him there.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lil looked up and gave Roy a warm smile. \u00a0Roy always thought that when Lil smiled her whole face lit up and her eyes glowed. \u00a0He\u2019d known Lil a long time, since before her father had died years back.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you want a drink, Roy? \u00a0It\u2019ll be on the house for you,\u201d she said, standing up straight and holding her duster in her hands like a bride would hold a bouquet of flowers.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, thank you, my dear. \u00a0I wanted to ask you something about a man who you think could be the person who shot Adam. \u00a0He was called Harry Chambers then.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lil nodded and looked anxiously at the few men in the saloon, then smiled again at Roy,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWas it Adam who told you? \u00a0I suppose you thought it odd about the ears?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThe ears?\u201d Roy frowned and shook his head, \u201cHe didn\u2019t say anything about any ears, but he did say you knew the man\u2019s name.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJack Hannah. \u00a0He\u2019s working a claim with Clem Connolly.\u201d she rubbed a corner of the table a little distractedly, \u201cHe\u2019s a broad shouldered man, dark haired, balding but I think it\u2019s been shaved, Roy.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cShaved?\u201d Roy looked at her and narrowed his eyes, \u201cShaved you said?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes, to make it look as though he were bald. \u00a0And he has odd ears,\u201d she nodded emphatically.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOdd ears?\u201d Roy repeated after her, \u201cHow do you mean, odd? \u00a0Odd in that one is different from the other? Or what ?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe hasn\u2019t any ear lobes, they just go straight into his jaw line.\u201d she narrowed her eyes herself now and looked at him, \u201cI know you may think it strange, Roy, but Harry Chambers had ears like that, it was one of the first things I noticed about him. \u00a0He was a regular customer the few days he was here in town, and used to always treat me to a drink. \u00a0I would never have thought him to be a murderer. \u00a0But then, we didn\u2019t think David Carter could be either, and look what happened to Evie.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Roy nodded, and looked at the young woman with admiration, then he put out a hand and placed it gently on her shoulder,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cLil, I want you to make me a promise now,\u201d he addressed her kindly, gently, as though talking to a child, \u201cAs soon as you see this man again, come straight to my office and get me, do you understand? \u00a0I don\u2019t want you to talk to him at all. \u00a0In fact, I\u2019d advise you to have nothing to do with him at all. \u00a0He\u2019s a man who can vanish without trace after he\u2019s killed and been paid for it. \u00a0He isn\u2019t your regular gunman, but a hired killer who doesn\u2019t like to draw attention to himself. \u00a0If he thinks \u00a0you could identify him as Harry Chambers I would be very worried.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll do that, Roy. \u00a0Thank you.\u201d she said simply and then returned to her dusting.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n No one would have imagined how much turbulence there was going on in that girl\u2019s heart now. \u00a0 Fear and apprehension made her heart pound so hard that she felt dizzy and made less of a good job cleaning the tables than usual. \u00a0 She had a sudden desire to rush to her room and lock the door behind her and stay there, until it was all over.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She had not seen the man Jack Hannah since that time she had returned from the Ponderosa. \u00a0 She was not even sure that Jack Hannah was still working along with Clem. \u00a0She went to the counter and asked Charley if she could go home early, as she felt ill.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n ********<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Sport was excited, his legs trembled with the anticipation of a ride with his master at last. \u00a0He turned his head and teasingly nabbed Adam\u2019s sleeve, pulling at it affectionately. \u00a0Adam in turn stroked his nose and then vaulted into the saddle.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It was good to be there again, in the saddle. \u00a0He turned Sport around and was instantly trotting out of the yard, following the rest of the family from the ranch house towards town.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe threw him a wink and grin, and sat relaxed in his saddle. He drew back to ride by his brother\u2019s side, in pleasant companionship, without the need to speak. \u00a0Hoss rode beside the buggy, which Marie was driving as expertly as ever. \u00a0 Clay rode slightly ahead of them, as though unsure with which party he should ride.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou didn\u2019t say anything to Clay about his gambling with the payroll, Adam?\u201d \u00a0Joe asked, looking at him with a smile, and his eyes twinkling.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t really feel there was any need to do so,\u201d Adam replied, looking straight ahead, \u201cClay expected me to say something about it, but I thought there was little point. \u00a0Just sometimes it\u2019s better to know and say nothing. \u00a0How do you feel now?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He looked at Joe thoughtfully, knowing that Joe had returned from that \u00a0trip to town feeling disillusioned and confused by Clay\u2019s arrant irresponsibility. \u00a0He shrugged now, and grimaced,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI guess I learned something, that perhaps my hero was just another brother, and tended to do stupid things, like brothers do.\u201d and he laughed at his quip and urged Cochise onwards, pulling up on the other side of the buggy and leaning down to talk to his mother.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Sport did a few little fancy steps, remembering what it was like to be young again, pretending to be a colt when he was all gangly legs and little else. \u00a0 He tossed his head and broke into a gallop, then stopped and did a few steps as though he were dancing on the spot. \u00a0Adam leaned forwards and stroked the animals neck, and with a smile dug his heels in and urged him into a run.<\/p>\n He leaned close to the horse\u2019s neck feeling the wind against \u00a0his face and the horses mane whip against him. \u00a0It was just so good to be free of that bed, that room, that all pervading illness. \u00a0He gave a yell and a whoop and Sport thrust his head forwards and strode out as though echoing his master\u2019s gleeful cry of rejoicing. \u00a0Free at last they both appeared to be saying, free at last.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Jack Hannah entered the saloon and headed for the counter. \u00a0He looked around him and saw several girls milling around, but not Lil. \u00a0Nor was her friend, Joy, there either. He made his way to the counter and leaned against it.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He looked at his reflection in the mirror and smiled at himself. \u00a0He looked entirely different to the man that had walked into the establishment several weeks earlier. His dark hair was matted, coarse and bushy. \u00a0His beard was longer, dirtier and bushier and he looked and smelt like a real miner, not like a man trying to appear as one. \u00a0He pulled a small leather pouch from his pocket and weighed it in his hand, a dirty grimy hand with broken blackened nails. \u00a0There was little to recognise as Harry Chambers here now.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat can I do for you, Mister?\u201d \u00a0Charley asked, polishing a glass carefully and wondering why he bothered when men as filthy as this would walk in and drink from it.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBeer.\u201d came the answer and Charley watched as Hannah poured a trickled of gold flake into his hand, \u201cWhere\u2019s the little girl to-day? \u00a0The dark haired one with the scarlet dress?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cUnwell.\u201d Charley replied, and he poured the beer and passed it along to the miner, who grabbed it thirstily, raised it to his lips and drank deep.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Jack Hannah put the glass down and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. \u00a0Who would have thought Esmond Scott would have enjoyed such freedoms as these that Hannah could enjoy. \u00a0Sleeping under the stars, standing in freezing water, panning for gold and feeling, really feeling, intense excitement as his hoard of gold dust, nuggets and flakes mounted. \u00a0Clem was a good partner too, asked few questions, didn\u2019t try to filch from Hannah\u2019s share, cooked good grub. \u00a0He was also intelligent, so that at the end of the day, as the day draw to its close they were able to eat, drink and converse. \u00a0Jack Hannah nodded to himself contentedly, and cradled the glass close to his chest.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n If he had known the pleasure of such freedom \u2026 freedom to be dirty, smelly, to curse and swear if he wanted to do so, to eat and drink when he wished, and to spend hours panning for gold with a fishing line further along so that he could catch his own supper, his and Clems. \u00a0If he had only known sooner that being born into wealth did not mean freedom, being married into money, didn\u2019t mean pleasure, if he had but known then he would have headed out for the gold fields sooner and never put his hand to a gun, never taken a life.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He sighed and looked up at his reflection again. \u00a0It was at that moment that four men walked into the saloon. \u00a0He recognised the man in black, although he was wearing a yellow coat, and had a slight limp. \u00a0He also recognised the boy, and the man that youth had identified as Clay Stafford. \u00a0It took him a moment to realise who the other man was, the giant who had helped Harry Chambers put a wheel to the buggy months earlier. \u00a0He turned away from looking at them, and wondered if his natural look, would fool Hoss Cartwright.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 91<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam walked to the counter and leaned against it. \u00a0He had thrown his hat on the table and stood there, right beside Jack Hannah, patiently waiting for Charley to come to his end of the counter and take his order. \u00a0Hannah looked at him, a long hard look, before turning away. \u00a0 It never paid to take too much interest in a man who was about to get himself tidied away. \u00a0Esmond Scott\u2019s policy was that the more notice and attention one paid to such details then the more human they became, and the harder it was to become impartial. \u00a0It could even make a man question the reasons why he was doing the job.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cGood to see you in town, Adam,\u201d Charley exclaimed and even went to the lengths of shaking his hand across the counter, jogging Hannah\u2019s elbow as a result so that beer slopped over,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSorry about that,\u201d Adam said immediately to Hannah, \u201cLet me get \u00a0you a fresh glass. Make that five beers, Charley, one for the gentleman here.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Gentleman! \u00a0Hannah raised his eyebrows and then scowled, he hardly looked like a gentleman. \u00a0He turned towards Adam and met the full force of two dark brown eyes, \u00a0and although the smile on Adam\u2019s face was friendly and warm, the eyes were forceful, cold and Hannah backed off. \u00a0In a town like Virginia City a man could get shot for just knocking into someone else, spilling his beer would guarantee trouble.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThanks, Mister,\u201d he muttered gruffly, and took the beer, watching as Adam returned to the table, followed by Charley who had insisted on bringing the other drinks to their table.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Jack Hannah watched them through the mirror. \u00a0A relaxed happy group of men, four brothers, in some way or another. \u00a0The big man was telling some tale, from his gestures something about a bear, and the three other men were listening with the occasional laughter. \u00a0 It was Clay Stafford who broke up the group, by standing up and excusing himself.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hannah watched the young man as he picked up his glass of beer, and ambled over to the gaming table where two men had started a game of poker. \u00a0His eyes flicked back to the three others, who were now exhibiting a less relaxed feeling between them. He noticed how the youngest kept glancing over to Stafford, obviously concerned, and then leaned in towards the other two, talking hurriedly to them. \u00a0 He noticed how Adam Cartwright reached out a hand, placed it on the youngsters arm, and said something that must have appeased the youth for he nodded, and leaned back in his chair, the glass of beer in his hands, but his eyes constantly turning towards his brother at the far table.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A lot happened, it seemed, all mixed up in a few bizarre moments. \u00a0The doors of the saloon opened to admit Lil and Joy, who were laughing together, and walked quickly to the table where the Cartwright boys were seated.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A tall, middle aged man approached Clay Staffords table, and as he did so Adam Cartwright stood up, left his own group and walked up behind the other man. \u00a0Hannah saw it all unfold before his eyes, he heard the screams, the gun shots \u2026<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Clay was pleased to sit in on the game, and the two men, who had not played against him before, shook hands with him,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPete Morgan,\u201d one said, and produced a pack of cards, which he began to shuffle with an expert ease.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cClay Stafford,\u201d and he extended a hand, which both men shook, the other man introduced himself as Martin Ogden. \u201cPleased to make your acquaintance, gentlemen,\u201d Clay smiled, and eased himself into the chair and watched as Morgan dealt the cards.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBeen here long?\u201d Ogden asked, spitting tobacco juice into a spittoon and making it rattle against the floorboards.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAbout a month or so,\u201d Clay replied, \u00a0\u201cHow about yourselves?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cA year,\u201d Ogden said, \u201cWe\u2019re panning up at the Washoe.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Clay glanced up as the doors opened and the girls entered, Lil and Joy, laughing and happy to see the Cartwright boys to whom they immediately approached. He was smiling at the sight of them when he realised that Ogden had stopped talking, and Morgan was not dealing out the cards. \u00a0He turned to see Zedekiah Murphy standing over them. \u00a0Clay swallowed back bile that had risen at the sight of the man for it was obvious that no talking was going to stop this man from doing whatever it was he had any intentions of doing, he was breathing abnormally fast, and his eyes were burning with hatred,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDo you know what you\u2019ve done to me, you cheating coward, you filthy stinking liar? Do you know? \u00a0You ruined me, that\u2019s what you done to me. You ruined me. \u00a0You took the roof from over our heads, and the land from under our feet. \u00a0How am I going to feed my kids? \u00a0What do I tell my wife now?\u201d he swung his arms out wide, encompassing the whole assembly there, \u201cCome to cheat some more fools out of their money, have you? \u00a0Well, it\u2019ll be the last time you do.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The gun appeared from nowhere, but it was levelled at Clay and fired. \u00a0Hoss Cartwright had moved not long after he had realised where Adam was heading, and had seized hold of Murphy\u2019s gun arm, wrestling hard with the frenzied man to wrench the weapon from him, while Adam had his own gun out, but had now stepped back to give Hoss room to manouvre.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lil and Joy had screamed, as had two other saloon girls, who had ducked under a table. \u00a0Morgan and Ogden had dived out of the way, Ogden bellowing like a bull when he saw blood on his shirt and realised that a bullet had passed through his arm spewing out copious amounts of blood.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It was Joe who had reached Clay\u2019s side first. \u00a0 Yelled for a doctor, for the sheriff. \u00a0Then held his brother\u2019s body in his arms. \u00a0Zedekiah suddenly lost any fight in him and dropped the gun, which Adam retrieved.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIs he alright, Joe?\u201d Adam asked his brother, his eyes quickly scanning the two young men, and unable to see any sign of blood on either of them.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI hope he\u2019s dead.\u201d Zedekiah spat, although his body was shaking now with the shock of what he had done, and his breath coming in heavy gasps, \u201cI hope he\u2019s dead for what he\u2019s done to me and my family.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s enough, Mister,\u201d Hoss growled, \u201cThat\u2019s enough.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJoe?\u201d Adam stepped towards them, \u201cLet me look at him, Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Jack Hannah put down his glass of beer, and quietly slipped out of the way, out of the saloon, closed the doors behind him. \u00a0 He walked briskly down the street towards where he had left the mule. \u00a0He wondered how many families had been left torn apart and heart broken by the killings he had accomplished. \u00a0How much mess he had created when he had done some \u2018tidying up\u2019. \u00a0 He suddenly realised he wanted to get back to those ice cold waters, pan for some more gold, catch some more fish.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Charley had gone running for Roy, while someone had gone running for Paul. \u00a0A cold blast of air blew down the main street of Virginia City reminding everyone there that winter was on it\u2019s way.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIs he going to die, Adam?\u201d Joe whispered, kneeling beside his brothers, one of \u00a0whom was a crumpled heap on the floor, and the other carefully, gently, feeling for a pulse.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 92<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Clay could hear a lot of cursing in a very deep voice and another voice muttering something, so out of curiosity he opened his eyes again.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He was in a room he had not seen before but from the medical tomes lining the shelves, and various other clues he realised he was in some kind of surgery. \u00a0When he turned his head he saw a half naked man being held down by another man, while the doctor, Paul Martin, cleaned and stitched up a bullet hole. Clay could hear Paul saying<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s no need to make such a fuss, Ogden, the bullet went right through the fleshy piece of your arm so there\u2019s no harm done.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo harm done, a hole in my arm is not harm done? What kind of doctor are you for Pete\u2019s sake?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Marie leaned forward and smiled at him, her eyes looking relieved and the smile appearing to be warm and sweet,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cClay? \u00a0Are you alright?\u201d she said in a soft voice that could barely be heard above Ogden\u2019s racket.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve got a head ache,\u201d Clay muttered, \u201cThere\u2019s ringing in my ears. \u00a0What happened to me? \u00a0I thought it was Adam someone was trying to shoot?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cZedekiah Murphy shot at you,\u201d Joe said calmly from the foot of the couch upon which Clay had been left after examination, \u201cYou won all his money from him the other day, remember? \u00a0 He\u2019s about to be sent packing off his land and his wife and kids have nowhere to go, and nothing to eat. \u00a0 He decided to shoot you, but one bullet scraped across your thick skull and the other went through Ogden\u2019s arm.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWho\u2019s Ogden?\u201d Clay moaned, feeling his head tentatively, and his fingers coming into contact with the rough surface of bandaging.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHim?\u201d Joe jerked his thumb in Oden\u2019s direction, silent now as he had passed out.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDo I know him?\u201d Clay enquired, squinting in an attempt to discern the man\u2019s features.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou were playing cards with him and another man called Morgan,\u201d Marie replied now, rather frostily. \u00a0She sighed and looked at him again, and shook her head, \u201cWell, I think you\u2019ll survive, Clay, so we may as well head for home.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhere\u2019s Hoss and Adam?\u201d \u00a0was the next enquiry, as Clay swung himself from the couch and set his feet on solid ground. He swayed a little, regained his balance, but grabbed at Joe\u2019s arm to ensure that he would not fall flat on his face.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAt Roys.\u201d \u00a0Joe handed over Clay\u2019s hat and jacket, and watched his brother struggle into the latter, and then very carefully place the former on his head.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhy?\u201d Clay asked, rather suspiciously as he recalled the reason for Roy\u2019s visit to the Ponderosa a few days earlier.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cTo see what could be done for Zedekiah, and also to see about this Harry Chambers who seems to have returned to town to finish off the job on Adam,\u201d Joe replied casually, \u201cDo you think you\u2019ll manage to get out of the door without falling over, Clay?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat will they do about Zedekiah, he tried to kill me,\u201d Clay growled, releasing his grip on Joe\u2019s arm and walking to the door.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPerhaps he thought he had good reason,\u201d Marie replied quietly and walked through the open door without giving Clay a second glance.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She stood for a moment on the sidewalk and took a deep breath to regain her equilibrium and to hold back the tears. \u00a0She had been frightened at the thought of her son being shot, and then, seeing him on the couch with the blood trickling from the scalp she had felt the sick fear only a mother can feel at the thought of their loved one suffering, perhaps dying. \u00a0It had been bad enough with Adam going through so much recently, but when she had seen Clay, blood called out to blood, this was her first born, only recently found as though resurrected from the dead, and now, possibly dying again, and being taken from her.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n But he was not seriously hurt and as she relived her fear, she felt anger churn over and over inside of her. \u00a0Jean had caused her this same fear and anger, with his gambling. \u00a0She had never known whether one day he would have gambled their home and belongings from over their heads. \u00a0Now here was Clay , prepared to gamble away the Ponderosa\u2019s payroll, and happy to take money from a man who had been stupid enough to put it down on the table as a stake, and, as a result, lost everything. \u00a0She hated gambling for all manner of reasons, and now, her own son had proven to her, once again, the total folly of it all.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She shook her head, straightened her shoulders and proceeded to walk towards the buggy. \u00a0Her purchases had already been placed carefully inside by Sally Cass, and she stepped aboard the vehicle and took up the reins, then looked down at the two young men who now stood on the sidewalk, looking up at her,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll see you both at home,\u201d she said quietly, and with a \u201cWalk on,\u201d command to the horses, left them standing there.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Roy Coffee read through the written statement that Zedekiah had made and showed it to Adam and Hoss. \u00a0Zedekiah had signed it, expressed his apologies through clenched teeth, and been ushered into a cell. \u00a0 His wife and children were now grouped around the cell, and their crying and grumbling was reaching a crescendo of noise that was making normal conversation nigh on impossible.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThere it is, in black and white, Adam\u201d Roy said sadly, \u201cAnother fool not learned his lesson and about to lose everything he possesses. \u00a0 He\u2019s never caused a days trouble all his life long, worked those fields for ten long years, and then this happens. Whatever next!\u201d he exclaimed and looked over his shoulder at the \u00a0area from which the noise was beginning to ebb away. \u00a0Only the woman\u2019s sobs could be heard now.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s unfortunate, Roy, but he only made a bad situation worse by taking a gun to Clay.\u201d Adam replied, \u201cI may be able to persuade Clay not to press charges against him, but I don\u2019t know about Ogden, the man was squealing like a stuck pig, and doesn\u2019t appear to me to be the forgiving kind.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s what I\u2019m afraid of, but it doesn\u2019t alter the fact that the Murphys will soon be evicted from their home.\u201d \u00a0Roy sighed heavily, and once again glanced in the direction of the little family group crowded around the bars of the cell, in which Zedekiah sat slumped on the truckle bed with his head held in between his hands.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll deal with that, Roy,\u201d Adam said very quietly, \u201cThere\u2019s no reason for a woman and her children to suffer because of the greed and stupidity of some men.\u201d he perched himself on the corner of the desk, and picked up Zedekiah\u2019s statement which he began to re-read in more detail.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat else did you want to see us fer, Roy?\u201d Hoss asked, looking away from the family to Roy who now picked up a pencil, stared at Hoss as though he had no idea what he was talking about, and then pulled off his spectacles as though to aid him to remember more clearly, \u201cYou said it had something to do with Harry Chambers?\u201d Hoss prompted.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHarry Chambers. \u00a0Yes, that\u2019s right,\u201d Roy nodded, \u201cHoss, you saw the man, didn\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I did. \u00a0Twice in fact.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWould you be able to identify him?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIf it\u2019s Harry Chambers, sure, I don\u2019t usually forget a face, especially seeing as how he shot my brother.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Roy nodded and stood up, carefully put his spectacles back on, and looked at them both, Adam got off the \u00a0desk and stood up,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat is it, Roy? \u00a0Have you seen Lil, spoken to her?\u201d he asked, and Roy nodded, and smiled,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI know where he is, and I just need Hoss to come with me for a short ride so\u2019s he can be identified and arrested. \u00a0How about it, Hoss?\u201d \u00a0he grinned, his moustache bristling as he did so and his eyes twinkling behind the glass, nothing pleased him more than his own brand of tidying up.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI sure will, Roy. \u00a0Right now?\u201d Hoss rubbed his hands together in glee.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cRight now, Hoss, if it\u2019s alright with you,\u201d Roy replied. \u00a0\u201cDo you want to come along too, Adam? \u00a0The more the merrier.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve something to do first, Roy. \u00a0I think I\u2019d prefer to see Harry Chambers behind bars later on.\u201d Adam smiled, and glanced over at the Murphy family with a thoughtful expression on his face. \u00a0He knew only too well the stress and heartache of struggling to make ends meet, to make a success of a homestead, farm or ranch. \u00a0There had been times when Ben was in despair of the Ponderosa making its way, times when they had been a hairsbreadth from losing everything. \u00a0But something would always turn up, some \u2018good angel\u2019, as Inger would express it, would deliver them from hardship. \u00a0He looked down as though reading the statement again, but he was actually calling to mind some of the kind hearted \u2018angels\u2019 who had come to their aid in the past, and for whom Ben had prayed a grateful thanks for the rest of his life.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hoss and Roy called out their farewells and closed the door behind them. \u00a0Hoss pulled his coat closer, as the wind felt sharp and keen.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSo where\u2019s he hiding, Roy?\u201d he asked, striding out towards where Chubb was chewing on his bit, pushing and shoving against it with his tongue. \u00a0His eyes rolled when he saw his master and he nodded his head in welcome. \u00a0Hoss ran a loving hand along the sleek neck line before untethering the reins.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNot hiding, Hoss. \u00a0He\u2019s got himself another alias, and he\u2019s mining up on a claim with Clem Connolly. \u00a0 It\u2019s just a case of riding in there, you identifying him and me arresting him. \u00a0I\u2019ll enjoy that very much. \u00a0I don\u2019t like these killers who sneak in and out like rats outa a sewer.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hoss said nothing to that, but could sense the strong feeling Roy had about the man, a feeling that he felt coursing through his own veins at the thought of a man who could slip into a town, deliberately attempt to kill Adam, and then ride out as calm as you like, with a whole load of money to boot.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Jack Hannah sat by the river with his mining equipment close to hand, but he didn\u2019t touch it. \u00a0He just sat and watched as the current sent spirals and swirls eddying against one another in the fast flowing waters.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you alright, Jack?\u201d Clem called over to him, and received a nod in answer, which seemed to satisfy him for he entered his own tent without another word.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Confused. \u00a0That was the only word Jack Hannah could find that actually summed up the way he felt now. \u00a0These past weeks had been so different from any he had ever experienced before. \u00a0It had been as though someone had turned a key in a lock and he had taken his first steps out into the real world, and found something worth living for in it. \u00a0Yet he couldn\u2019t have explained what that something really was, because it was nothing tangible.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He took a deep breath and closed his eyes against the sights around him. \u00a0He was certainly between the devil (and Buchanan certainly deserved such a title) and the deep blue sea. \u00a0A rock and a hard place. \u00a0 \u00a0As he had reasoned to himself before, if he didn\u2019t honour the agreement, for which he had already taken an ample sum of money as a down payment, he knew without doubt that Buchanan would find another such as he, and have him hunted down and shot like a dog. \u00a0 If he went to the sheriff here, he would be jailed for attempted murder, and then the whole list of others who had actually been murdered would be dragged out. \u00a0That would mean ruination for Buchanan, and misery for Esmond Scott\u2019s wife and daughters.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n There was nothing he could do but honour the agreement. \u00a0He was a man of his word, and a man of principle. \u00a0He would never renege on a deal. \u00a0 Once he had done the job he had come to do, he would leave this place which was softening him up. \u00a0He would return to what he knew, and become what he had – yes – he would return to what he had become – a paid assassin. \u00a0 After all, it was his trade.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 93<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Clem Connolly came out of his tent and waited for the two men to dismount before he approached them. He had a rifle in the crook of his arm, a precaution in the event of the newcomers being claim jumpers. \u00a0Roy nodded and shook his hand,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHowdy, Roy, you two comin\u2019 on in for a hot brew?\u201d Clem asked, a smile of welcome on his face.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, thanks, Clem, no time for that,\u201d Roy replied, looking around at the campsite, \u201cI just came to see if your partner were here, Jack Hannah I think he calls himself.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJack? \u00a0No, you missed him. \u00a0He was here, sat awhile thinking a mite, and then got up and said he was leaving. Didn\u2019t say how long he\u2019d be gone fer.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s he like?\u201d Roy asked, as Hoss began to walk towards the other tent, the entrance of which was flapping in the breeze.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWho? \u00a0Jack? \u00a0Oh, he\u2019s a good worker, keeps himself to himself, but likes to talk in the evenings. \u00a0Intelligent talk and he ain\u2019t a drinker.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat was he like when he came back from town today?\u201d Roy asked, looking over at the other tent and just about managing to make out Hoss\u2019 figure moving about inside it.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSeemed a bit down, didn\u2019t want to talk, just went over and sat on his own for a while.\u201d he stopped when Hoss came back out, shaking his head, \u201cHas he done anything wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIf he comes back, Clem, just tell him that I want to see him about an incident in town today, there was a shooting in the saloon and he was an eyewitness. \u00a0I\u2019d like to just get his account of the matter.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll do that, Sheriff.\u201d Clem said and stood back to let them pass in order to remount their horses.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n They rode a while up the slopes and through the wood in silence, back onto the main track to town, Hoss then looked over at Roy with a slight frown on his face,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHow\u2019d you know he was in the saloon? \u00a0I didn\u2019t see no one there looked anything like Harry Chambers.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, he\u2019d be a fool if he came back looking like Chambers, wouldn\u2019t he?\u201d and Roy laughed, one of the few joys in life was getting one over on the Cartwright boys, and this was one very satisfying opportunity to enjoy a laugh, \u201cLil came and told me, didn\u2019t recognise him at first because he looked so much like most of the other miners, it was just the way he walked out of the saloon so soon after the shooting that drew her attention to him. \u00a0Then she asked Charley who it was and Charley told her it was Jack Hannah, who works along with Connolly now. \u00a0Poor Lil. \u00a0She nearly threw a fit when she realised how close Adam was to his would be killer.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThat Lil, sure had sharp eyes on her. I would never have known that Chambers was in that saloon, and here you are, expecting me to identify him as the man who shot Adam. How can I do that when I don\u2019t even recognise him when I see him?\u201d Hoss scowled, and looked at Roy anxiously, \u201cWhere\u2019d you reckon he\u2019s gone now?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou tell me? \u00a0The man\u2019s a wily bird, that\u2019s for sure. \u00a0Could be he\u2019s gone for a \u00a0number of reasons. \u00a0Could\u2019ve been spooked when he saw the shooting, and was afraid someone would recognise him. \u00a0 Could be that he hadn\u2019t expected to see Adam like he did there, that could have made him think. \u00a0Hoss, if I could get into this man\u2019s mind I\u2019d be a happy man.\u201d and Roy stroked his chin and looked down at the track \u201cAin\u2019t no sign of his mule backtracking it to town, although we would have passed him had he done so.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMebbe he\u2019s decided to leave town altogether.\u201d Hoss said rather doubtfully, but he saw the look Roy gave him and shook his head, \u201cYeah, well, just a thought.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, I\u2019m heading back into town now, you keep your eyes out for any clue that he\u2019s hanging around the Ponderosa, Hoss. \u00a0I wouldn\u2019t be surprised that with winter coming on, that this man wants the job finished soon so he can get back to his home comforts.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hoss nodded thoughtfully, and raised a hand in farewell as Roy turned his horse around to take the fork in the track that led to town. \u00a0 For some moments Hoss sat in his saddle deep in thought, before remembering that Ma, Joe and Clay were returning together, but Adam had stayed back in town .. Alone. \u00a0He turned Chubb around and with a yell at Roy to hang on for him, rode back to Virginia City.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 94<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou should tell him how you feel about him, you know,\u201d Joy whispered to Lil, as the two girls peered through the rather dirty window and watched as Adam Cartwright walked from the bank with Mrs Murphy and her children trailing along around him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d Lil whispered back, unable to take her eyes from the sight of the tall dark clad man who had the baby in the crook of one arm, and was tickling it under the chin. \u00a0She watched as the baby gurgled laughter and Adam Cartwright smiled so that the dimples appeared in his cheeks and he seemed so relaxed and at ease with them all. \u00a0Another one of the children was tugging at his jacket and holding up a finger that had obviously been hurt at some time and needed his attention.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh, Lil, it\u2019s obvious that you\u2019re just crazy about the man,\u201d Joy replied, standing away from the window now to walk to the counter and fluff up her hair. \u00a0She turned this way and that, to make sure she was still looking her best, and smiled at her reflection.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, it doesn\u2019t really matter what I feel about him, does it? \u00a0He won\u2019t notice me, he never does.\u201d and she sighed, still keeping her eyes fixed on the group standing just across the street. \u00a0 Mrs Murphy was dabbing at her cheeks with a handkerchief and nodding, and smiling, and Adam was talking to her, and now looking quite serious. \u00a0Lil sighed and shook her head, \u201cI bet you a dollar to a dime that he\u2019s paid off the mortgage so that they can stay put there. \u00a0 I bet you anything you like that \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI know, I know.\u201d Joy protested, a little frown of irritation on her brow, \u201cI think you\u2019re being very silly not telling him though, Lil. \u00a0You say he doesn\u2019t take any notice of you, huh? \u00a0Well, how many men call you Lily?\u201d and she smiled at her friend who looked at her thoughtfully and shook her head, \u201cAlright, how many times has he called you Lily?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh, I see what you mean,\u201d Lil blushed, and lowered her eyes coyly, then she shook her head and left the window to walk over to the counter and watch her friend preening herself. \u00a0\u201cI wish I looked more like you, Joy. \u00a0Everyone notices you. \u00a0Joe Cartwright has, and even Mr Stafford.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you mean, \u2018even Mr Stafford\u2019?\u201d Joy laughed and flounced up her skirts so that she could lift her leg up to put her dainty foot on a stool and tighten up the laces of her boot. \u201cMr Stafford is a mighty handsome man, hadn\u2019t you noticed?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHandsome is as handsome does,\u201d Lil said without the faintest idea what the expression actually meant, but she had heard Mrs Hawkins say it so often when someone was given a compliment that this seemed an appropriate opportunity to do likewise.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI like him, and he\u2019s more of a man than Joe,\u201d Joy wrinkled her nose a little in contemplation of the two men, \u201cJoe\u2019s still just a boy after all.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re not exactly an old woman,\u201d Lil laughed and nudged Joy to get herself straightened up, as several miners entered the saloon.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cLil, if I were you, I\u2019d get myself over there right now, and tell that handsome Mr Adam Cartwright how the man who is out to kill him was standing right here in this saloon. \u00a0It might do you some good to be a little more -\u201d she frowned as she sought to find the right word, \u201ca bit more assertive.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lil blinked, assertive seemed about right, she thought, perhaps she should put some of it to the test. \u00a0She said nothing, but turned immediately around and quickly left the saloon.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Mrs Murphy and her brood had finally departed and Adam watched them clambering aboard their wagon with a sad feeling in his heart. Life was going to be difficult for Hetty Murphy, now that winter was coming on. \u00a0He had done what he could to help them financially, but in a pratical way they needed a man to help them through the winter. \u00a0There was no real hope of Zed escaping a jail sentence now that Ogden had made out a statement against him. \u00a0Adam shook his head and wondered again at the way men took such risks with everything the future held out to them, just on the flip of a coin, or the turn of a card.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He was about to start walking towards Sport when he heard his name being called out from behind him, and upon turning he saw Lil, the saloon girl, running towards him. \u00a0He stopped, turned and smiled. \u00a0She was a pretty enough girl, unassuming, not really cut out for the job she had, she was too – he searched for the word and the only thing that came to mind was \u2018nice\u2019.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh, Mr Cartwright, I\u2019m so glad I caught up with you,\u201d she gasped, \u201cI wanted to tell you something.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI thought we had agreed that you would call me Adam in future,\u201d he smiled, remembering the time she had visited the Ponderosa and told him about the miner with the odd ears and how she thought it was the man who had tried to kill him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes, but -\u201d she lowered her eyes and shook her head, then raised them again and smiled at him, \u201cIt doesn\u2019t seem right somehow.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, Lil, it sounds alright to me,\u201d he laughed and put his hand out to draw her closer into the sidewalk, so that no passing vehicle or cowboy could splash mud on her as they passed by.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAdam, did you realise that the man, Harry Chambers, was in the saloon today? \u00a0He was there, at the counter, drinking beer when Mr Stafford got shot.\u201d \u00a0she looked at his face, and saw the dark eyes darken and his mouth tighten, then go blank, as though the fact had been noted and that was that, so she put out her hand and touched his arm, \u201cI mean it, Mr Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI know you do, Lil, and Roy does too, which is why he and Hoss have gone out to get him. \u00a0 Hoss can identify him -,\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHow? \u00a0If he was standing just feet away from you in the saloon, how will Hoss recognise him?\u201d she asked, and her eyes widened as she looked earnestly at him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI thought -,\u201d Adam paused, and grimaced, and then he shrugged, \u201cWell, Roy believed what you had to tell him, and he\u2019s gone out to wherever he is to arrest him. \u00a0So, you see, there\u2019s nothing more to worry about now. \u00a0 Once he\u2019s behind bars we\u2019ll be able to find out who he really is \u2026Harry Chambers, Jack Hannah and all the other aliases won\u2019t be of much use to him then.\u201d he smiled at her, pleased to see that she looked less tense now, \u201cWe\u2019re all very grateful you know, Lil. \u00a0You\u2019re a very intelligent woman the way you notice things and make sense of them, not many – er – not many could do that,\u201d and he turned his head as he heard his name being called by a familiar voice.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hoss and Roy dismounted outside the Sheriff\u2019s office, and both Lil and Adam exchanged glances before walking over to join them. \u00a0Roy shook his head as he looked at Lil,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe lost him,\u201d he said in a regretful tone of voice, \u201cBy the time we got to Connolly\u2019s he had gone. \u00a0Hadn\u2019t left a clue as to who he really was or anything.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDid you really expect he would?\u201d Adam said quietly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cTo tell you the truth, Adam, I wasn\u2019t sure what I was expecting. \u00a0I\u2019m sorry, Miss Lil, we were too late.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDo you think he suspects we\u2019re on to him?\u201d Lil asked, looking from one face to the other, and realising from their silence that they really didn\u2019t know the answer to give her.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t worry, my dear,\u201d Roy said gently, \u201cWe know who we\u2019re looking for now, which makes it a whole lot easier.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lil frowned, shook her head slightly, and then with a sigh excused herself and hurried back to the saloon.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, is that right, Roy?\u201d Adam said, watching the young woman disappear into the saloon and the doors close behind her, \u201cDo we know who we\u2019re looking for now?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t,\u201d Hoss said with brutal honesty, \u201cI didn\u2019t know he was there in the saloon today, and if he walked down the street now, I still wouldn\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Roy sighed and scratched the back of his head,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOne thing\u2019s for sure, he wants this thing over and done with as soon as possible. \u00a0So, young man, just watch your back.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 95<\/p>\n <\/p>\n There was no need to hide who he was now. \u00a0The time had arrived to put away Jack Hannah, Harry Chambers and a host of other aliases. \u00a0Esmond Scott settled himself into the undergrowth much like a badger in its sett, a big cumbersome body hiding itself in nature\u2019s own camoulflage. \u00a0 He had not just been panning for gold these weeks in the pines surrounding the ranch house. \u00a0That would have been such a waste of precious time. \u00a0 He had brought with him everything he needed to keep warm and dry, fed and watered, for as long as it would take him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He sidled down flat onto his stomach and brought his telescope to his eye. \u00a0He now knew the routine of the ranch house fairly well. \u00a0Just as he knew how many occupied the house, how many remained in the bunk house. \u00a0He knew the times Hop Sing left the ranch, and when he returned. \u00a0Without even realising it, each individual living on the Ponderosa environs had their personal routine, and each of them Scott had catalogued and noted carefully. \u00a0 Now he watched as Marie, Clay and Joe arrived home. \u00a0He smiled to himself and scanned her face for longer than really necessary.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n No wonder David Carter wanted to marry her. \u00a0She was like a delicate piece of porcelain set in gold in this wilderness of wild people all clawing for the passport to fame and riches. \u00a0 He calculated her age to be in the late 40\u2019s, but she looked younger, and held herself proudly, as though she knew she were something special.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He licked his lips and frowned. \u00a0There was little point in getting side tracked by a pretty face now. \u00a0He watched as Joe and Clay led the horses to the stable, then Clay returned to remove the buggy and horse from the yard. \u00a0He reached for his rifle, then withdrew his hand. \u00a0Not yet. \u00a0 It would reveal his hiding place too soon. \u00a0There was still Adam Cartwright to deal with yet.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The young men finally emerged from the stables laden with the packages and parcels that Sally had carefully arranged in the buggy for Marie. \u00a0 Scott noticed the bandage around Clay\u2019s head and smiled slowly. A pity that Zedekiah had been such a bad shot, it would have spared him the trouble of finding the time to rid the world of Clay Stafford. \u00a0He watched them until the door of the ranch house finally closed behind them. \u00a0Scott put the telescope down. Time for something to eat, and time to read another chapter of the latest Dickens novel.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n *********<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Marie de Marigney Cartwright. \u00a0She peeled off her gloves slowly and then unbuttoned her jacket. \u00a0 In deep thought she turned and looked up at the picture of her husband, walked towards it so that she could feel as though she were walking into it, into those black eyes.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He had always made her feel special. \u00a0Always. \u00a0 Sometimes she would waken and find him looking down at her, and she would say \u2018Why are you looking at me like that?\u2019 and he would reply \u2018Because, woman, I love you more than you\u2019ll ever know.\u2019 \u00a0and for nearly 13 years she had not heard him say those words and realised how much she longed to now. \u00a0Never a day passed when he wouldn\u2019t hold her, touch her and kiss her, tell her how much he loved her, how he never wanted to lose her.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She had known that was his primary fear, even when Joe was born, especially when Joe was born, he lived in the dread of her dying, leaving him, going away from them all. \u00a0Sometimes he had spoken to hear about Elizabeth and how he had loved her, and how she had died so soon after Adam had been born. \u00a0Then there had been Inger, sweet and gentle, strong and brave Inger. \u00a0How many men could not have suffered as a result of such losses?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n As she looked up at him and thought over the past empty years without him, Marie realised why she had wanted to marry David Carter. \u00a0She needed someone to tell her they loved her. \u00a0A man who would wrap his arms around her and whisper words that a wife loved to hear, that made her feel safe, special. \u00a0She was a woman of passion, who had needed the fires to be aroused again, and for a short while David Carter had almost succeeded. \u00a0 But there would never be another Ben Cartwright.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n With a sigh she turned away, picked up her jacket and gloves and mounted the stairs to her room.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n *********<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Scott was ready with his telescope when Adam and Hoss had returned home. \u00a0 He watched them as they rode their horses directly into the stable. He frowned, lowered the telescope a fraction and then raised it to his eye again. \u00a0He counted the moments it would take them to remove the saddles and harnesses, to take the horses into their stalls, to put feed into the troughs and water into the buckets. \u00a0He counted the moments until they emerged. \u00a0Then he groped for his rifle and lined Adam up in his sights, and followed him across the yard into the house.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He smiled and put the rifle down. \u00a0 He knew they would never find him in his covert, and would not think of looking for him right on their doorstep. \u00a0 It would take as long as it needed to take, but finally, in the end, Marie Cartwright would be wearing black once again.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 96<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Regularly once a month Marie would ride to the graves of her husbands. \u00a0 She would go either on horseback or in the buggy, depending on the weather or just on the mood she was in at the time. \u00a0This particular morning she chose to go on her horse and wore her bottle green riding outfit with the dark green velvet lapels. \u00a0 She put on her little green hat with the netting that came over her face and was tied at the nape of the neck. \u00a0It was no longer \u2018en mode\u2019, but Marie was past caring about such trivialities as fashion. \u00a0She wore what she knew she looked good in, and for her own satisfaction. \u00a0Of course, she would say to herself, who else was there to please anyway?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Clay looked at his mother as she came down the stairs and opened his eyes wide, and blinked. \u00a0There was no doubt about it, the soft early morning light was certainly kind in that it took years off of her looks, and having an excellent figure anyway, the close fitting jacket of her outfit, showed it off to perfection. \u00a0She looked breathtakingly lovely, and Clay gulped in appreciation.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWow, Ma, you look beautiful,\u201d he exclaimed, even standing up and pushing his chair away from the table to get an even better look at her.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNow you can see what good taste Pa had,\u201d Adam said with a smile and a wink over at Marie, \u00a0\u201cWhere are you going, Ma?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cTo the graves,\u201d she replied simply, she had never believed in pretending and emotionalising any situation. \u00a0To have said \u201cTo visit my husbands\u201d would have been stupidly sentimental; \u00a0to have said \u201cTo see Jean and Ben\u201d a trivialising of what the visits actually meant to her. \u00a0Some women may have said such, but Marie was too pragmatic to be sentimental.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam nodded, and poured himself another cup of coffee. \u00a0He glanced up at Clay and raised his eyebrows, as though questioning him as to whether or not he should go, at least to Jean\u2019s grave.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWould you like to come with me, Clay, to your father\u2019s grave?\u201d Marie asked, pulling on her gloves and smiling at him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, thank you, Ma.\u201d Clay replied quickly, \u201cI would rather not, if you don\u2019t mind.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She only nodded. \u00a0Whatever reason he had for not riding out with her were his along, she did not feel the necessity to press him for any further explanation, but smiled again at them both and bade them goodbye.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou should have gone too, you know,\u201d Adam said quietly, nursing his coffee thoughtfully.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t want to go,\u201d Clay said in reply, \u201cI don\u2019t like graves at the best of times, they make me realise my own mortality.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam looked up at him then, and nodded, he could see the sense of that, and with a sigh he drained the cup dry, replaced it on the saucer and stood up.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, time to get on,\u201d he said simply, \u201cAre you coming along with me to the west side of Miller\u2019s Creek? \u00a0There\u2019s a whole mess of wood there that needs clearing for winter fuel.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Clay nodded thoughtfully. \u00a0He would much rather have gone into town for a game of blackjack at the Sazarac. \u00a0He had money in his wallet and had a longing to spend it. Clay was not one of the \u2018save it for a rainy day\u2019 kind of men.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Scott had been observing the movements of the Ponderosa since early morning. He had seen Hoss and Joe ride out just after dawn, when the sky was still beautifully painted with pink and orange streaks. \u00a0 He saw them ride off together and mentally noted that that left Clay, Adam and Marie in the house, alone with the cook, Hop Sing.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He made himself some food and a drink. \u00a0Then nestled down futher into his den, and waited for further action. \u00a0An hour passed before Marie left the house. He trained the telescope on her and followed her to the stable, and waited, until she rode out into the yard. \u00a0He sighed deeply, \u00a0no doubt about it, she was one woman in a thousand alright.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It was only a matter of ten minutes when Clay and Adam walked out of the house together. \u00a0 Adam Cartwright was wearing his yellow coat and Clay wore a heavy brown corded jacket. \u00a0Scott reached for the rifle, his fingers touched the stock, and then he withdrew them tentatively. \u00a0Hop Sing was still in the house, and he could see a big man, Hank Myers as it happened, stepping out of the bunk house. \u00a0 He did not want attention drawn to himself so kept the telescope trained upon the two men. \u00a0Like a big fat spider aware of the slightest vibration of its web \u2026he smiled, and nodded to himself, and then began to hum a little tune beneath his breath.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 97<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The two young men did not say much as they rode along towards Miller\u2019s Creek. This was no indication that there was any latent hostility in their relationship now, but rather the more complimentary one of being sufficiently relaxed in each other\u2019s company as to respect the other\u2019s silence.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam may have felt more relaxed in Clay\u2019s company but he was far from relaxed with regard to the situation concerning Jack Hannah, or Harry Chambers. \u00a0He was deep in thought wondering why a man would come back, like a hunting dog on the scent of a lost quarry. \u00a0A man was supposed to be a superior reasoning creature than a hunting dog, surely? \u00a0 He rode with his eyes scanning the horizon constantly, although, riding through the trees as they were now, made such vigilence more difficult than when in open terrain.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Clay was also deep in thought. \u00a0He had enjoyed seeing his mother and getting to know her. In many ways it had laid the ghosts from the past and filled the future with wonderful prospects. \u00a0He had been both pleased and irritated by the presence of his own brother, Joseph. \u00a0Pleased to have a real flesh and blood kinsman, but irritated by the fact as well. \u00a0Clay had been raised by elderly people, who had made him their sun and moon and stars. \u00a0Although Joe\u2019s initial adoration had been wonderfully complimentary to such a man as Clay, it had become much like a man followed by an unwelcome puppy after a while. \u00a0 Selfish and vain, Clay admitted to an affection for his brother, and a respect for his step.brothers, but he was far too wrapped up in the vision of himself and his life to go beyond those emotions.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He was now thinking about Marie. \u00a0How lovely she was this morning as she walked out of the house in that green riding outfit. \u00a0How well he could understand his father loving her, and Ben Cartwright adoring her. \u00a0He could also now comprehend why his grandmother had hated her for Marie. \u00a0 Madame de Marigney had been beautiful in her youth, her marriage had been a happy one, and she had adored her only child. \u00a0As her looks had faded and youth waned, Marie had burst upon them like a new bright star exploding into the constellations. \u00a0Jean moved his adoration of his mother to this wondrous person, and Madame had been consigned to the shadows. \u00a0As she noticed more and more of those in her social circles fawning and flattering Marie, Madame had allowed the poison of jealousy to seep into her heart until it gave birth to a hatred so bitter that all she could think about was obliterating this new star entirely from the realms of her own orbit. \u00a0When Clay was born Madame seized her chance.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n What if she had been a plain dumpling of a woman, Clay pondered. Would he feel this way about her now? \u00a0Would Madame have felt so threatened and cultivated such hatred not only in herself , but also in him, her grandson? \u00a0Clay was deep in thought puzzling over these things when he realised that Adam was whistling softly to himself.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He glanced over at Adam and frowned. \u00a0Here was a handsome young man, intelligent and studious who could have accomplished anything in his life. \u00a0Why did he seem so content to stay here? \u00a0 Surely he didn\u2019t want to stay on the Ponderosa chasing cows all his life? \u00a0Clay nodded in acknowledgement of the smile Adam had cast him, and considered again, that this was a man capable to doing great things in his life, how could he moulder away here?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAdam?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHuh?\u201d Adam smiled, and raised an eyebrow to indicate that he was paying attention.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDo you intend to stay here all your life?\u201d Clay asked, and smiled as though his answer was of paramount importance.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDo you?\u201d Adam laughed in reply, his brown eyes twinkling.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAh, I asked first,\u201d Clay chuckled, feeling good inside himself, and enjoying the moment.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, to be honest, I don\u2019t know. \u00a0Never given it much thought. \u00a0I \u00a0had wanted to go to college when I was younger, and then -\u201d he paused, and glanced over Clay\u2019s shoulder, wondering if he had seen something, someone, \u201cbut Pa died, and life changed here. \u00a0I guess it\u2019s easy to let life slip through one\u2019s fingers, with each day passing.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s so much to do in life, isn\u2019t there? \u00a0So much to see and so little time to fit it all in.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou sound like a man desperate to leave here and move on.\u201d Adam said quietly, a slight frown furrowing his brow, and his hand easing to his holster, slipping his gun loose, his hand on the handle.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI guess that just about sums it up,\u201d Clay replied, \u201cI just can\u2019t imagine myself being stuck in the house with you three and Hop Sing all through the winter.\u201d and he laughed aloud, throwing back his head, his laughter the happy exclamation of youth and freedom.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Then the first shot rang out. \u00a0Laughter died on his lips and Clay gave a gasp, looked at Adam in startled amazement, as he saw the gun in his hand. His eyes asked the question that his lips were too numb too ask, and then he fell, slipping sideways from the saddle, face down onto the ground.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam pulled Sport around, turning so that his horse was a shield to the man and he fired, directly at the spot where he had seen the movement of the gunman. \u00a0It was at that point that the skies opened and rain fell like a deluge upon them.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Scott eased into the trees, faded out of sight. \u00a0 One of the bullets from Adam\u2019s gun had brushed pass his face, and thudded into the bark of the tree behind him. \u00a0He knew he had the advantage over the other man, for he had the cover of the trees and shrubs while Adam was out in the open, and would no doubt stay there in an attempt to offer some protection to the man on the ground. \u00a0Scott smiled to himself, he knew that there was little chance of Clay Stafford getting to his feet, for he had got a true aim and only the most evil of chances (seeing it from his perspective of course) could have prevented that bullet from killing its victim.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Now he could enjoy himself at the other man\u2019s expense. \u00a0 As the rain poured down and drenched the open ground Scott still had the shelter of the trees, and slowly, stealthily, he began to stalk his prey.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Marie was at the graveside of her second husband when the rain began to fall. \u00a0She raised her face to the heavens and closed her eyes so that the raindrops mingled with the tears that trickled down her cheeks.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 98<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n With the rain falling so heavily Adam found it harder than usual to discern exactly where the gunman could have relocated himself. \u00a0 He kept his body close to Sports, hoping it would less discernible in the rain as a result. \u00a0The track was already puddling, and the horse was beginning to churn it over into mud as he manoeuvred it in circles around Clay\u2019s body.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n As the seconds gradually eked into minutes, Adam wondered if the gunman had decided to leave the vicinity even though he had got the wrong man. \u00a0Without the knowledge of Scott\u2019s latest assignment, Adam was still under the misapprehension that he, and not Clay, was the assassin\u2019s true target. \u00a0He drew closer to Clay, his eyes travelling constantly all around him, only too well aware of how well hidden the other man was, compared to themselves. \u00a0He could no longer waste time in the manner he felt he was, but with his gun in hand, he slid from the saddle, and keeping hold of the reins, and leading Sport along by his side, he hurried to where Clay had fallen.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He had just knelt by Clay\u2019s side when there was a gunshot. \u00a0Adam threw himself across Clay\u2019s body, and fired immediately into the shrubs. \u00a0Then, after releasing the reins and allowing Sport to run free, he twisted away from Clay, and crouching as low as he could, he scrabbled through the mud to the shelter of some trees. \u00a0Another bullet winged its way towards him and spat bark from the tree close to his head. \u00a0He fired off two shots immediately before ducking down for cover.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Still the rain fell, with raindrops so heavy and fast that the three men were sodden through to the skin. \u00a0Clay was now in a puddle that widened around his body, with the mud reddening from blood mingling with the rain.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam licked his lips and ran his tongue around the inside of his mouth. \u00a0It was so dry. \u00a0The driest part of him. \u00a0His eyes ached in his attempt to see through the rain and the undergrowth as to where his adversary was now hidden. \u00a0His only consolation was the thought that Chambers, as he thought of him, was having to endure the same conditions.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Once again time ticked away, nerve stretching seconds. \u00a0 Scott, hidden well and protected by thick undergrowth kept his eyes fixed on the site Adam had fired from earlier. \u00a0 Once or twice his eyes flickered over to Clay, but there had been no change in the body\u2019s position since Clay had fallen. \u00a0 He smiled at the thought that he would be able to justify Buchanan\u2019s payment.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam wiped rain from his face, from his eyes. \u00a0He realised he had to move away from this particular location which afforded him little protection from both gunman and rain. \u00a0He crouched down, stepped back a few paces and began to move as carefully as possible away from the scene, but closer to where the gunshots had been fired. \u00a0 Keeping his gun steady, he inched along, eyes alert, nerves stretched to breaking point, and barely able to swallow. \u00a0 He saw a movement, from the corner of his eye and fired.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n At the same time the ground, heavy from rain water, gave way beneath him, and he felt himself sliding through mud. \u00a0His gun was knocked from his hand by a sapling halfway down the descent, he slid into a rock which was large enough to resist the weight of his body but in the process of resistance turned him onto his back. \u00a0Mud, water, wet leaves, pine needles all sped by, stung his face, got into his mouth and eyes and hair, covered his body, until he landed in an undignified heap face down in a small narrow gully. \u00a0The traces of his descent were as obvious as that of an elephant taking a mud bath.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Esmond Scott stood up and waited, his gun poised and ready. \u00a0His eyes and ears alert to any sound, any movement. \u00a0Clay still remained where he had fallen. \u00a0 From the direction of Adam\u2019s fall – the sound of which had been like music to Scott\u2019s ears – there was nothing. \u00a0He was about to step forward when he heard a sound. \u00a0A muffled footstep.<\/p>\n He turned his head slightly, a slight frown on his face. \u00a0Then he saw the horse and rider emerge through the trees, pause as though frozen with shock, and then cry aloud her son\u2019s name.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 99<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Coming so unexpectedly upon the scene of such dire tragedy, Marie had felt herself reeling in the saddle and had maintained her senses only because of her own personal rigid self discipline. \u00a0However her knees were weak and trembling as she slipped out of the saddle, and for a second clung to a stirrup to keep herself upright. \u00a0All the time she could hear herself calling out his name, and unrestrained tears slipped down her face, along with the raindrops that continued to cascade down upon them all.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Esmond Scott felt his own heart thudding against his ribs as he watched the woman run to the side of her son and fall upon her knees by his side. \u00a0He watched as she gently raised his head and then cradled his body in her arms and rocked back and forth, as though by doing so she could restore life into his body and give her the comfort that such fleshly contact could provide.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n So this then, he could see, was the aftermath of his tidying up. \u00a0 Satisfaction for his client, an increase in his bank balance to enable him to continue in the lifestyle to which he had become so accustomed, and terrible grief for the family of the victim. \u00a0Such a pretty woman. \u00a0He frowned, such a pretty complication.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Marie felt as though her heart were breaking all over again. How many times, she prayed, how many times was she to go through this misery of loss. \u00a0How many more times would she have to endure this heart break. Where would she ever get the courage and strength to endure this again.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It never even occurred to her that the gunman could still be close at hand. \u00a0Could even be considering whether or not to kill her along with her son. \u00a0 Perhaps, if she did, she did not even care.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Scott sidled back into the undergrowth as quietly as a serpent returns to his hole. \u00a0He inched pass along the way he had come, and bent over double, holding tightly to his rifle, he carefully and slowly made his way to his horse. \u00a0 Thankfully he had had the foresight to part company with the mule when he no longer felt the personna of Jack Hannah was needed. \u00a0 He had almost reached the animal when he heard a sound from near by and immediately he froze, and turned round.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It was a cough. \u00a0A man\u2019s cough. \u00a0But there was no man nearby, not that Scott could see that was for sure. \u00a0He bent down nearer to the ground to scan through the shrubs and then saw the swathe of broken foliage, brown wet mud, sweeping like a chute beneath him. \u00a0By the most miserable of chances he had come upon the very site of Adam\u2019s tumble down the \u00a0slope.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Inch by inch Adam was struggling back up by clinging to wet mud, grabbing at overhanging boughs, feeling his feet sliding away, and the constant thud of raindrops beating down upon his upturned face and body. \u00a0He saw his gun where it had fallen and reached out for it, his hand glistening against the wetness, his fingers scrabbling in the dirt to grab for it until his body weight was too much and he felt himself sliding back. \u00a0Determinedly he grabbed a branch, closed his eyes as the wet leaves swung against his face, felt his fingers touch the handle of the revolver, curl around it and retrieve it. \u00a0With a sense of some relief he replaced it in his holster and once again resumed his climb to the main track above him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Scott watched the efforts of the man inching his way upwards to him. \u00a0He held his rifle tightly, and wondered whether or not to use it. \u00a0Then he remembered the woman close by, who would hear the gun shot. \u00a0What would she do if she did so? \u00a0Would she come to the aid of yet another of her sons, or stay where she was \u2026 she had a choice between the dead and the living.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He glanced down and watched as the struggling man paused in his efforts to gain his breath. \u00a0The rain was beating down so heavily upon them now that it had the effect of halting Adam in his attempts to find handholds, while his feet were constantly slipping from the futile anchorage he could locate. \u00a0He glanced upwards but the rain blinded him,. \u00a0Exhausted he leaned his head upon his arm and tried to catch his breath, aware constantly now of the gnawing ache in his back from his previous injuries.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Scott waited. \u00a0He knew exactly what he intended to do and there would be no sound. \u00a0When Adam reached the top of the incline all it would need was a simple shove to send him hurtling back down. It was obvious the man was too weak to put up any form of resistance at all.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam remained where he was for some seconds, getting a second wind, and trying to make sense of some new sounds. \u00a0He glanced upwards but again the rain dashed into his eyes obscuring his vision. \u00a0He waited but the sound was not repeated. \u00a0He was panting from his exertions now and knew that he had to move, but some sixth sense prevailed upon him to stop where he was for as long as he could. \u00a0Then there it was again, and he could see just a small cascade of stones, loose gravel, slipping pass him. \u00a0Then nothing. \u00a0Of course, he told himself, the rain was loosening the bank above, if he was not careful the whole lot could erode and fall upon him. \u00a0Then there was another thought, Chambers, realising he had shot the wrong man, was now waiting for him above. \u00a0An impatient foot and eroding soil could possibly send such debris down by him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam clamped his teeth together and began to move once more, but this time, instead of going up, he began to move sideways along, inch by precarious inch. \u00a0 Some overhanging obstinate shrub, growing from the side of the incline, shielded him from the watcher above, and enabled him to get a firm grip on something substantial at last. \u00a0While Scott wondered where his quarry \u00a0had gone, Adam made significant distance between them, and had began to work his way up towards the track once more.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It took the maximum effort to get his hands over the edge and haul himself up onto the solid hard packed but puddling track. \u00a0He rolled onto his stomach, then looked for his assailant. \u00a0The hunted had become, the hunter.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 100<\/p>\n <\/p>\n *************<\/p>\n Adam closed his eyes tight and waited for the drumming in his ears to subside. \u00a0The effort of hauling himself up onto the track had not only exhausted him, but made him more aware of his previous weakness. \u00a0He drew in a deep shuddering gulp of air and forced himself to focus on the situation on hand.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He withdrew his gun from the holster and quickly checked that the barrel had not filled with mud when it had dropped from his hand. \u00a0 Ben Cartwright had been in the army as well as at sea during his lifetime and been well disciplined on how to act under pressure and in extreme circumstances. It was a lesson he took great pains to teach his sons who would carry out such procedures as though it were second nature to them.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He wiped his face free from rain water and slowly inched his way forwards, crouched low and avoiding any low hanging boughs. \u00a0It took only minutes to see the outline of the man who knelt on one knee scanning the land beneath him. \u00a0 The rifle in his hand, the tension in his body, all indicated that this was the man whom Adam sought. \u00a0For a brief second Adam thought of Lil and her insistence that Harry Chambers had returned to town. \u00a0Whether he had odd ears was hard to see for the straggled mass of hair was hanging in sodden strands around his face. \u00a0It was as Adam thought these things that Scott turned, Adam could see the muscles in the man\u2019s shoulders tense through the soaking wet clothes that clung to his body. \u00a0Like an animal suddenly aware of danger, Scott swung around, his eyes searching for the one who threatened him, and his rifle ready, aimed \u2026 and then his eyes met those of Adam Cartwright.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam flung himself stomach down onto the ground, held his pistol in both hands and aimed it at Scott. \u00a0They were at an impasse; \u00a0Adam remained where he was, his gun following Scott as he moved stealthily away from the edge of the incline.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cCartwright?\u201d he asked, squinting through the foliage in an attempt to get a better view of his antagonist. \u00a0\u201cIs that you?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt is,\u201d \u00a0Adam replied, \u201cJust put the rifle down, Chambers. \u00a0If you want to live, put the rifle down.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIf I want to live?\u201d Scott gave a low rumble of laughter, \u201cDon\u2019t be foolish, Cartwright. \u00a0I nearly killed you before, I could easily do so again now. \u00a0Look, how about we make a deal?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo deals.\u201d Adam replied, his eyes fixed on Scott\u2019s face.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cLook, don\u2019t be too hasty in saying that, Cartwright. \u00a0Let me tell you something, you weren\u2019t the reason I came out here this time. \u00a0The person I was sent out here to get was Clayton de Maligney. \u00a0 Well, I got him. \u00a0I don\u2019t need to bother with you as the person who hired me is dead. \u00a0How about you just let me get on with my life, forget you saw me here, and we\u2019ll call it quits?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAre you mad?\u201d Adam cried, weeks of pain and mounting anger rising like gall in his throat so that the words were almost screamed at Scott, \u201cYou can forget any deals, Mister. Just put the rifle down. D\u2019you hear?\u201d and he fired off a shot that spat dirt just inches from Scott\u2019s foot.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou must have a death wish, boy,\u201d Scott replied, \u201cI could kill you right here and now with one shot, don\u2019t you realise it?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThen why haven\u2019t you tried?\u201d Adam said with sudden calm, \u201cWhy all the time wasted just talking. \u00a0Shoot and get it over with if you must, but I can tell you this, you\u2019ll only get the one chance and you won\u2019t be alive to know if you failed,\u201d Adam pulled back the hammer with his thumb, narrowed his eyes and fired.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The two weapons exploded instantaneously, each sending its harbinger of death winging towards the intended victim.<\/p>\n Marie heard the sound of the gun shots as she knelt by Clay\u2019s side, holding her son close to her. \u00a0She closed her eyes at the sounds, and sobs racked her body as she realised that out of sight, Adam was in danger. \u00a0She had to help him, but it seemed as though she were locked in this solid embrace with Clay. \u00a0She whispered Adam\u2019s name and the tears fell hot down her face.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She jumped when a hand touched her shoulder, and would have screamed aloud had not Matt Fraser not knelt down by her side and nodded reassuringly at her,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cStay with Clay. \u00a0I\u2019ll go and see what I can do to help Adam,\u201d he whispered, and then he turned away from her and was gone.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u2026\u2026<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Fraser reached the scene of the shoot out in time to see Scott crumple and fall. \u00a0His rifle fell from a lifeless hand by his side into the mud. \u00a0Without wasting much time on him, Matt ran towards where Adam was struggling to get to his feet, still holding the gun in both hands, and both hands shaking so much that Matt wondered if the young man were not suffering some kind of spasm prior to dropping down dead.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAdam, it\u2019s me, Matt.\u201d he cried, and put out a hand towards him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMatt?\u201d Adam whispered, \u201cIs he dead?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI wouldn\u2019t be surprised,\u201d Matt replied drily.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAre you sure?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sure.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Matt reached out and gently took the gun from Adam\u2019s hands, and then put his arm around the young man\u2019s shoulders to take his weight as Adam\u2019s knees buckled beneath him, and he began the gradual slide into oblivion.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s alright, son,\u201d Matt said softly, \u201cIt\u2019s alright, now, and it\u2019s stopped raining.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 101<\/p>\n <\/p>\n When Adam opened his eyes he looked up into Matt Fraser\u2019s face. \u00a0The man smiled reassuringly, and helped the younger man into a sitting position,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBullet creased your temple,\u201d Matt said quietly, and replaced the handkerchief he had \u00a0been holding against the wound, \u201cLooks like it may have eased off bleeding now. He probably didn\u2019t expect you to shoot at him, but I reckon that doing so saved your life in more ways than one as the kick back from your gun moved you enough away from getting your head blown off.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou said he was dead?\u201d Adam put his hand to his temple and held the handkerchief in place, letting Matt have full use of his hands, \u201cHe is dead, isn\u2019t he?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes, Adam, he couldn\u2019t be any more dead than he is now.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThanks for your help, Matt.\u201d Adam tentatively got to his feet, and closed his eyes. \u00a0Once the swirling around stopped he opened them, and looked at the other man, \u201cWhat are you \u00a0doing here anyway?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCame to see Marie,\u201d Matt replied as though it were nothing unusual, \u201cCame to meet this new son of hers that everyone in town was speaking about nowadays.\u201d he put his hand under Adam\u2019s elbow to steady him on his feet, although it was strictly not necessary.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cClay!\u201d Adam\u2019s eyes opened, \u201cMatt, Chambers shot Clay. \u00a0What am I going to tell Ma? \u00a0I tried to keep him safe, but I didn\u2019t see \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYour Ma\u2019s with Clay now, if that is Clay I saw her hugging and fussing over and getting herself all muddied up in the process back thar,\u201d Matt nodded his head in the direction they were walking, \u201cIt\u2019s going to be alright, son, don\u2019t fret.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHow do you know it\u2019s going to be alright?\u201d Adam snapped angrily, \u201cI have to get there, explain\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s nothing to explain,\u201d Matt interrupted irritably, \u201cYour Ma\u2019s with Clay, just a little ways up there. \u00a0 From what I could see, I don\u2019t think you\u2019ll be saying goodbye to your step brother just yet.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBut he was shot in the back, he fell and didn\u2019t move.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDoesn\u2019t necessarily mean he\u2019s dead though, does it?\u201d Matt smiled, and put his hands in his coat pockets, \u201cHe was just coming round when I left them, Adam, and once your mother releases that bear hug of hers she\u2019ll realise the only danger he\u2019s in is being smothered to death by her. \u00a0Of course, he\u2019ll need doctoring for that wound of his, but I doubt if he\u2019ll mind a few days in bed.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam said nothing, but looked rather doubtfully at Matt. \u00a0When they got to the clearing where Marie had been left with Clay, it was to find them both together, Clay sitting with his back to a tree, while Marie was swabbing up blood from the exit wound. \u00a0 She turned as they approached, and then relaxed, her fears that the gunman had returned left her and she allowed a small smile to grace her lips.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s going to be alright,\u201d she said with a strange hiccough sound to her voice, \u201cThe bullet passed right through and the bleeding seems to be slowing down.\u201d she stood up and came to Adam\u2019s side, \u201cAre you alright, Adam? \u201c<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam nodded, and looked at Clay,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry that I couldn\u2019t have stopped him, Clay. \u00a0He was just too fast for me, and his cover was good.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Clay shrugged and then raised a hand although it was obvious he was weak and still slightly befuddled by what was going on,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou shot me?\u201d he asked, his eyes opened wider, \u201cWhy\u2019d you do that?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cFor Pete\u2019s sake, Man, Adam just saved your life, and you accuse him of shooting you?\u201d Matt snapped, \u201cThe guy who shot you is over there,\u201d he jerked his thumb in the direction of Scott\u2019s body, \u201cand thanks to Adam, he won\u2019t be bothering anyone again.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe told me,\u201d Adam said, squatting in front of Clay and looking him right in the eyes, \u201cthat he had been paid to kill you. \u00a0Sounds like a revenge pay off. \u00a0Who do you know would pay the price of a paid killer to get revenge on you?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Clay swallowed, his Adam\u2019s apple jerked convulsively, and he looked at Marie and then Matt, finally he looked back at Adam and nodded,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBuchanan.\u201d he said quietly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s what I figured,\u201d Adam nodded in agreement and then stood up, \u201cMa, will you be okay waiting here with him, while I get back home and arrange the wagon to come for him?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI can ride home,\u201d Clay protested, but when he attempted to get to his feet, he gave a groan of pain and fell back against the tree.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll wait here,\u201d Marie said and placed her hand gently upon her son\u2019s shoulder.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Paul Martin took the cup and saucer from Marie and nodded his thanks. \u00a0He had checked Clay\u2019s wounds and confirmed that after a few days of bed rest, plenty of sleep, and Hop Sings best chicken noodle soup, he would be well enough to join them again downstairs. It would be a few weeks, however, before he could do anything more strenuous. \u00a0 He also gave Adam an examination to ensure that the young man had not injured himself and put himself back in the situation he had been a few months earlier.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Now he was relaxing. There were no babies to be birthed, no sick and dying that he knew about needing attention. \u00a0He sat in the big room with the Cartwright boys, Marie and Roy, and Matt Fraser. \u00a0 He wasn\u2019t sure what Matt Fraser was doing there, but remember that he and Ben had been good friends and went a long way back.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll be checking on that Senator Buchanan,\u201d Roy said, taking another slice of cake and transferring it to his own, \u201cand perhaps then we\u2019ll find out exactly who our mysterious gunman really is, I\u2019ve fair run out of names for him.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt seems strange that he should have come back here,\u201d Joe said, perched on the arm of the settee, and thinking back to the time they had found Adam near death from Chambers attempt on his life, \u201cYou\u2019d have thought he would have wanted to keep well away from here after what happened to Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBig fee, big risk.\u201d Roy replied, \u201cIt\u2019s a different breed of gunman back East, Joe. \u00a0Buchanan, if he is a Senator, has a lot to lose. \u00a0He has to make sure his money covers any kind of contingency that could arise, or lose his position, his reputation and who knows what else besides.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, you\u2019ve both come through it well enough,\u201d Paul said, \u201cwhich is more than can be said for Mr Chambers,\u201d he looked at Adam, \u201cYour bullet got him right through the heart. \u00a0He would have died instantly.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam nodded, but said nothing. \u00a0 His head ached and he was exhausted. He just longed for everyone to go away so that he could crawl up the stairs and fall into bed.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe must have had the place under observation for some time,\u201d Matt suddenly said, \u201che knew exactly where you were headed, so must have followed you from close by.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe hasn\u2019t been seen in town nor at Connolly\u2019s for nigh on ten days.\u201d Roy said, \u201cwhoever he was, he certainly knew his business.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhich reminds me that I should be getting back to mine,\u201d Paul said, and he put down his cup and saucer, and got to his feet, \u201cI\u2019ll call by tomorrow morning.\u201d he assured them, and bade his farewells.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll ride back with you, Paul.\u201d Roy said and smiled at them all, \u201cI\u2019ll run my checks and give you any information as and when it comes through. \u00a0Coming, Matt?\u201d he looked at the rancher and kept an innocently blank look on his face.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll make my way home later,\u201d Matt Fraser replied, staying firmly where he wanted to be, in the big leather chair by the fire.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Once the door was closed on the two men, Hoss took the vacated place on the settee, and leaned back against it,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cTo-morrow I\u2019ll go and take a look around, see if he left any clues as to his whereabouts behind,\u201d he said, \u201cYou coming with me, Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSure, I don\u2019t see why not,\u201d Joe grinned, and looked at Matt. \u201cSeems you came along just at the right time, Matt. \u00a0Haven\u2019t seen \u00a0you in a while either.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, things have been busy. \u00a0I had to go back East to attend my father\u2019s funeral for one thing.\u201d he frowned and saw from their faces that none of them even knew he had had a father alive, let alone recently deceased. \u00a0 It confirmed to him the fact that to them all he was just another person living nearby, seen and forgotten, that was Matt Fraser so far as the Cartwrights were concerned. The thought depressed him and he could not help but let a sigh escape him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI am sorry, Matt.\u201d Marie said softly, \u201cHave you any other family living back East?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, he was the last. \u00a0Never well enough to join me here, but pleased at what I\u2019d accomplished.\u201d he looked at them all and thought to himself how they were wanting him to go now, so that they could settle down and talk amongst themselves as family. \u00a0He put his cup down and stood up, \u201cBest be going then,\u201d he glanced over at Adam, \u201cTake care now, son.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam nodded and smiled, and watched as Matt leaned forward to pick up his hat. He glanced up at Marie and raised his eyebrows and inclined his head slightly towards Matt, so that she promptly stood up, and walked beside the rancher to the door. \u00a0She smiled at him as the door was opened and followed him out onto the porch.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Matt, about your father.\u201d she said, and paused midway from the door to the yard, \u201cI missed you.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou did?\u201d Matt looked surprised, then pleased, he fumbled with his hat and smiled, \u201cI didn\u2019t think you would even have noticed I was gone, not after all that fuss over David Carter.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201c I made a fool of myself there, Matt, with what could have been disastrous results. \u00a0I still can\u2019t believe that there was so much involved in that man\u2019s life. \u00a0Nor how much influence he had had over mine.\u201d and very briefly she told him about Carter\u2019s past and how he had been the man actually responsible for taking Clay from her so many years ago.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Matt listened with his eyes on her face, thinking how lovely she was, and what big eyes she had, and how dainty her gestures were. He smiled in all the right places, and nodded when he was meant to, but she could quite easily have been telling him about her latest shopping expedition on the moon for all the interest it really meant to him. \u00a0He loved her, and all he wanted to do now was feast his eyes upon her and drink in every movement.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMatt?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes, Marie?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHave you heard a word I said.\u201d she looked at him anxiously, \u201cYou look as though you were a million miles away.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh, I heard.\u201d he replied hoping she wouldn\u2019t ask him to repeat anything, \u201c I was just thinking that you must be really happy now that Clay is back with you. \u00a0Guess that makes the family complete, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes, I suppose it does,\u201d she said quietly, and sighed, \u201cIf Ben were here life would be just about perfect.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Matt nodded, and slipped his hat back onto his head. There it was in a nutshell. \u00a0It always came back to Ben Cartwright. \u00a0So long as she felt this way about her late husband Matt knew he had not a snowballs chance in hell of ever winning her heart.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes, well, Ben was a mighty great man, alright,\u201d he said lamely, \u201cI doubt if you would ever find another quite like him.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI wouldn\u2019t,\u201d she replied honestly, little realising how bruised his heart was at the words, \u201cI don\u2019t know why I thought David Carter would be a fitting husband. \u00a0Thankfully I came to my senses in time. \u00a0You helped, Matt, so much. \u00a0I never did get to thanking you for the night you came to take me to the dance.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt was my pleasure,\u201d Matt replied, and placed his hat on his head \u201cGoodnight, Marie.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cGoodnight, Matt, and thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He only nodded and smiled his quiet secretive smile. \u00a0 His love would have to remain a secret. \u00a0Perhaps, he sighed, forever.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 102<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNot much longer now,\u201d Joy heaved a sigh and then leaned back in her chair so that it tilted onto the back legs, and her long copper gold hair tumbled down in loose coils to brush against the floorboards.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOnly four more days,\u201d Lil replied, coveting the beautiful hair more than anyone could imagine, and wishing she had Joy\u2019s figure and elegance, perhaps that was what finishing school, even if not for rich young ladies but for girls like Joy, could achieve. \u00a0She sighed, but she had to admit, one had to have the right equipment to start of with, and what Joy possessed, Lil, in all honesty, did not.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPa\u2019s going to put bunting up and flags and little lanterns,\u201d Joy smiled and sat upright, jolting the table a little as the chair bounced back a little quicker than usual.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI wish you weren\u2019t going, Joy\u201d Lil said generously, considering how much she envied the girl, \u201clife won\u2019t be the same without you here.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joy smiled sweetly. \u00a0She loved being the centre of attraction without even trying. \u00a0She picked up the remains of her cookie and nibbled at it delicately.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m going to invite all the Cartwrights. \u00a0Sally Cass has written out invitations, you know. \u00a0I would have done it myself but never quite developed the skill,\u201d she paused and shrugged, \u201cIt just didn\u2019t appeal to me.\u201d she added quickly, the inference being that had she been interested then it would have been another something for Lil to covet.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lil was about to speak when the door opened, abruptly. \u00a0Both girls squeaked and squealed a little in protest, after all, it was early morning and they were only wearing their underwear and negligee\u2019s. \u00a0Then they realised it was Charley and began to yell and protest at him until he shouted them down<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s enough now. Perhaps it is possible for a man to speak in his own house?\u201d he glared at the both, and as soon as silence descended he looked at Lil, \u201cRoy wants you over at his office, Lil. \u00a0Seems there was a shooting over at the Ponderosa and a man has been killed. \u00a0Roy feels you could be the best person to identify him.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMe? \u00a0I don\u2019t know anyone who would get killed on the Ponderosa.\u201d Lil cried, standing up and dropping crumbs all over the floor.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cRoy reckons you would be, Lil. \u00a0He shot Clay Stafford and -\u201d he paused when Joy gave a little shriek and clapped her hands to her face, \u201ctried to kill Adam Cartwright, but he got killed himself. \u00a0Seems Adam Cartwright shot him. \u00a0 So, best hurry and get dressed.\u201d he looked at them both and shook his head at his daughters disarray. \u00a0\u201cI hope you learn to dress a bit more modestly when you get to be a Governness, young lady.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIs he alright?\u201d Lil asked, \u201cAdam? \u00a0Is he alright?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI presume so, and Clay Stafford should be well soon.\u201d Charley turned to go, closing the door with a sharp snap as he did so.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh Lil, that means he won\u2019t be able to come to my party,\u201d Joy sniffed, and then she wiped her eyes and smiled, \u201cI guess Joe will though.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh Joy, you\u2019re so fickle,\u201d Lil sighed and moved away from the table to enter her own private room.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She dressed carefully and respectfully. \u00a0Even if the dead man were the man she suspected him to be, he still deserved some respect. \u00a0 She watched herself in the mirror as she buttoned up the dark jacket, and then picked up her bonnet and fastened the bow neatly at the side, so that it showed up the colour of her eyes.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Roy Coffee welcomed her into his office and then grabbed his hat. \u00a0Mumbling something about the weather, and hoping this errand had not inconvenienced her too much, he led the way to the Undertakers. \u00a0Mr Hinckley opened the door to them both and led them into the outer room where the late Mr Scott, or Mr Chambers et al, reclined.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lil recoiled slightly. \u00a0She had seen dead bodies before, but only in the immediate status that is, after they had been shot due to some altercation in the saloon. \u00a0At that stage they still looked like they could get up and walk away most times. \u00a0Here however the odour of death was all pervading, and the colour and texture of the dead flesh made her shiver. \u00a0She instinctively drew closer to Roy.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe thought you would be the best one to ask to identify him, Miss Lily.\u201d Roy whispered, taking off his hat respectfully, \u201cYou said you thought it was the man we knew as Harry Chambers because of – er – his ears.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She nodded, and swallowed, and approached the bier. \u00a0Hinckley moved back some hair from the side of the dead man\u2019s face and exposed one ear. \u00a0She looked at it and nodded.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t need to look at the other ear, do I?\u201d she asked apprehensively, \u201cWill one be enough?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMore than enough. \u00a0Do you believe this man to be Harry Chambers also known as Jack Hannah?\u201d Roy asked quietly, taking her elbow in a fatherly manner so as to give her some reassurance.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes, it\u2019s him.\u201d Lil nodded, and glanced at Mr Hinckley and wondered how he could do a job like this one. \u00a0She turned away and shivered again.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In the bright light of the autumn morning Roy turned to her and smiled,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOdd the little things that can give us away. I guarantee that man never even considered the possibility of his ears giving him away. \u00a0Thank you, Lil. \u00a0If there is a reward I\u2019ll let \u00a0you know.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBut Mr Cartwright was the one to kill him. \u00a0If there is a reward he should get it.\u201d she said, although her mind was wondering how much the reward would be and what she could do with it.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAdam\u2019s already told me that if there is a reward he wants you to have it, after all, you were the one who warned us that Chambers was back in town.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She smiled sweetly, and fluttered her eyelashes and tried to act as she imagined someone who went to finishing school would have acted (namely Joy), leaving Roy with the impression that the shock had affected her brain and she had something in her eyes.<\/p>\n They parted with a handshake. \u00a0 Lil went back to the boarding house humming a little tune under her breath, and Roy began to work out how to track down the anonymous Mr Chambers.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHey, Joe, come over here. I think I found summat,\u201d Hoss cried, giving his brother a whistle and beckoning \u00a0him towards where he was standing.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI sure hope so, I\u2019m getting mighty sick of rummaging around and not knowing exactly what it is I\u2019m looking for,\u201d Joe replied and kicked at a mound of leaf mould which shattered into pieces in the air.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hoss smiled, and held up a blanket. \u00a0There was all the evidence of a man\u2019s having occupied the area for some days, and being prepared to stay a while longer from the canteens of water and stored food there was stashed away.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, he sure had a great hiding place here,\u201d Joe whistled in admiration, \u201cSnug as the proverbial bug\u201d , he stooped down and picked up a satchel, which he unbuckled, \u201cBooks.\u201d he smiled, and pulled one of them out, \u201cCharles Dickens – ,\u201d he opened the flyleaf and frowned, \u201cHey, Hoss, look here? \u00a0Seems our mystery gunman wasn\u2019t quite as careful as he thought he was, \u00a0huh?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hoss stepped over and looked to where Joe\u2019s finger was pointing, and smiled ..<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, little brother, looks like you\u2019re right there. \u00a0 Roy will be mighty pleased to see this. Mr Esmond Scott. \u00a0Couldn\u2019t be any clearer, could it?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cUnless it\u2019s another alias,\u201d Joe frowned, and pulled out another book, and found the same name written down. \u00a0He smiled, and put both books back into the satchel, then slapped Hoss on the chest, \u201cHoss, we got ourselves a name tag to put to the man. \u00a0Didn\u2019t I tell you this was a good idea?\u201d and whistling happily, Joe strolled out of the den and made his way to where Cochise was waiting.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 103<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Preparations for winter took on apace, for there was much to do in a short period of time. \u00a0In his bed, looking out at the far distant mountains, clad with Ponderosa pine, Clay felt trapped. \u00a0 In his childhood he had gone to a boys boarding school which he had hated, and now he was beginning to get the same feelings of entrapment. \u00a0Being ill and unable to do very little without the help of Hop Sing and Marie reminded him of the days he had measles and chickenpox and was forced to stay in the sick bay with Matron.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He had never enjoyed reading, preferring to be up and doing things, working things out for himself, and meeting people. \u00a0Marie began to fret as she realised her son was becoming bored.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAdam, do you think Clay will stay here?\u201d she asked one evening, trying to appear nonchalant about the matter as she sat with head bowed over the sock she was darning.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam immediately thought back to the conversation he was having with Clay before Scott opened fire on him. \u00a0He frowned and looked more closely at the book he was reading,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou should ask him, Ma. \u00a0I can\u2019t speak for him.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHasn\u2019t he given you any indication as to what his future plans could be?\u201d she asked, knotting the darning wool neatly and snipping it off with her scissors.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019d best ask Joe,\u201d Adam replied, \u201cWhy? Would you prefer him to stay?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh, Adam!\u201d she exclaimed, \u201cFor an intelligent man that really comes into the realms of a very stupid question. \u00a0Of course I would prefer him to stay, after all, he has only just re-entered my life and I don\u2019t want it to come to an end yet.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI should have said, would you -\u201d he paused as the door opened and his brothers entered the house, blowing on their hands, and looking decidedly chilled.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s blowing up colder now,\u201d Hoss muttered, \u201cGood thing we got a good supply of wood in stock.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHow\u2019s Clay, Ma? \u00a0Has he managed to get himself out of that bed yet?\u201d Joe grinned over at Marie, and peeled off his outer coat.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s doing very well, and getting bored. \u00a0Hurry and get washed up for supper.\u201d she said and put down the socks, cast a dark look at Adam who smiled up at her innocently, and stood up, \u201cGo and see how he is, Joe, he may like to join us this evening, if he is feeling strong enough.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat do I do first, Ma, wash up for supper or go and see Clay?\u201d Joe said with a chuckle in his voice that made Marie smile at him, as she walked to the kitchen.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHey, Joe, here \u00a0a moment,\u201d Adam beckoned to his brother who approached willingly, and perched on the arm of the chair, \u201cHas Clay said anything to you about leaving here?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d Joe said simply, \u201cWhy? \u00a0Is he planning to ?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know, but your Ma\u2019s getting anxious about him.\u201d Adam frowned and sat back, closing the book and putting it on the arm of the settee, \u00a0\u201cHow would you feel if he left here, Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Joe replied honestly, \u201cIt would be different from if you or Hoss left, I guess. But, I don\u2019t think I\u2019d like it, to be truthful. \u00a0He is my brother, after all, and there\u2019s lots of things I\u2019d like to do with him, share with him, like I have with you two.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWal, it\u2019s nice to know you\u2019d miss us, little brother,\u201d Hoss said evenly, and managed a smile, which Joe returned with a smile of his own.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n They watched as he got up and mounted the stairs, whistling a tune beneath his breath, and then they looked at one another. \u00a0Hoss raised an eyebrow,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHow\u2019d you feel if he left, Adam?\u201d \u00a0Hoss asked, \u201cPersonally,\u201d he continued without waiting for his brother\u2019s reply, \u201cI get the feeling he\u2019s just passing through, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMmm, could be.\u201d Adam sighed, and glanced once more to the stairs. \u00a0\u201cTime will tell, brother.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I guess so,\u201d and Hoss left the room for the washroom and to clean up for supper, leaving Adam in no doubt that Hoss would not be shedding any tears were Clay to leave at any time.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHow are you feeling, Clay?\u201d Joe asked, bouncing onto the bed with an enthusiasm not shared by his brother.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBored,\u201d came the instant reply.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDo you feel well enough to come downstairs and have supper with the rest of us this evening?\u201d \u00a0Joe looked at Clay and smiled, his hazel eyes twinkling.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou look like you\u2019re brewing mischief,\u201d Clay said, narrowing his eyes, \u201cWhat\u2019s going on?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNothing much,\u201d Joe replied, and shrugged, \u201cJoy\u2019s leaving Virginia City to take up her position as Governess. \u00a0There\u2019s going to be a party for her in town. \u00a0Do you think ..\u201d he paused, \u201cI guess you\u2019ll still be too ill to attend, won\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cFor Pete\u2019s sake, Joe, I can hardly get downstairs as it is; \u00a0when is this party anyway?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cTomorrow evening.\u201d Joe replied, feeling a slight relief as Joy had not been exactly subtle in her comments about Clay. \u00a0The youngest Cartwright felt hard done by enough with elder brother Adam getting so much attention from the few unattached females in town, but with Clay coming along as well, it left him with even less of a following than he would have liked. \u00a0He smiled \u201cI\u2019ll miss Joy. \u00a0She\u2019s a really pretty girl.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPretty as a picture,\u201d Clay leaned back against the pillows and folded his arms behind his head, \u201cReminds me of a gal I used to spark back home. \u00a0She was a red head too, with the greenest eyes you ever saw. \u00a0Had a temper on her like a fire cracker. \u00a0Boy, you jest never knew which way she was gonna jump from one day to the next. Kept a guy on his toes alright. \u00a0Pretty as paint, and a figure like I guess Ma would have had when she was a gal.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMa was a beauty alright. \u00a0She still is,\u201d Joe said quickly, \u201cshe could have her pick of men if she wanted, even now.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWho was the guy who helped bring me home when I was shot? \u00a0He seemed to hang about some, didn\u2019t he?\u201d Clay looked at Joe suspiciously, \u201cDo you think he has feelings for Ma?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou mean, Matt Fraser? \u00a0I used to think he did. \u00a0He was a good friend of Pa\u2019s, and helped us out when Pa was killed. \u00a0Ma didn\u2019t want him though. \u00a0She\u2019s still carrying a torch for Pa, I guess.\u201d \u00a0Joe smiled, \u201cAnyway, tell me some more about this red headed girl you knew, Clay.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh, there ain\u2019t much point really, she up and married someone far more suitable for her than me. \u00a0Guess that\u2019s what will happen to your little red head too. \u00a0She\u2019ll go away and the next thing you know, she\u2019ll marry the first man to propose to her. \u00a0Unless you get there first, Joe.\u201d and he winked.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI hadn\u2019t thought that far ahead,\u201d Joe said, with a slight blush rouging his cheeks, \u00a0\u201cI reckon I\u2019ve a lot of living and loving to do before I get myself hog tied to a gal.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Clay laughed, and leaned forward to slap his brother on the back. \u00a0 He felt a surge of satisfaction every time he realised just how much he and Joe had in common. \u00a0They\u2019d get along just fine the two of them, here, or wherever \u2026<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 104<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Roy Coffee dismounted outside the Ponderosa and tethered the horse to the hitching rail, while his eyes looked around the yard, noticed the stable doors were closed, and some horses were grazing in the corral. \u00a0Smoke was coiling up from the bunkhouse chimney indicating that some of the men were still about, and no doubt brewing some coffee. \u00a0The big house looked dark against the sullen sky and the windows looked like blank eyes staring out at him as though to accuse him of trespass.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He walked stiffly to the door, and rubbed his back. The cold weather was already getting to his joints and the ride from town was becoming less and less pleasant as a result.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cRoy, come on in,\u201d Hoss gave the lawman a smile of welcome, \u201cWhat you doin\u2019 here? \u00a0I thought you\u2019d be getting yourself dandied up for the party tonight?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI shall be, don\u2019t you fret. When you get to my age it takes less time to dandy up, as you call it.\u201d Roy smiled. \u00a0He had always been very fond of Hoss. \u00a0What you see is what you get, when it came down to Hoss Cartwright. \u00a0\u201cIs the family here?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSure are, Roy.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Roy took off his hat and nodded, before walking into the big room. \u00a0It was a luxurious room compared to many he walked into, but it was not overly opulent. \u00a0Marie was not that kind of woman, to show off her wealth by being flamboyant in her style of home. \u00a0Roy always felt at ease here and even now sunk down into the big leather chair, and waited.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Marie came out of the kitchen and greeted him with a smile and a bright hello, while at the same time Adam and Joe came down the stairs, both looking rather sombre, as though the arrival of the lawman indicated some bad news. \u00a0They greeted him politely, and sat down opposite him<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat brings you here, Roy? \u00a0 We\u2019ll be in town ourselves soon, couldn\u2019t it have spared you the ride out to have waited?\u201d Adam asked, pulling at his collar as though it were too tight.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSeeing as how my back feels right now, young man, I daresay it would have made more sense. \u00a0How\u2019s Clay?\u201d he turned to Marie, but there was no smile on his face when he asked and all of them there wondered if he had remembered the wanted posters and had done some \u2018checking up\u2019 of his own.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDoing well,\u201d Marie replied, \u201cWhy do you ask?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, why should I not ask?\u201d Roy replied, raising his eyebrows. \u201cDon\u2019t fret none, I haven\u2019t come about Clay. I came to tell you about something we found out when we were looking through Mr Scott\u2019s belongings.\u201d he looked over at Joe, \u201cRemember the satchel with the books? \u00a0When we looked through that we found an envelope that said to open in the event of his death, so we opened it and there was another letter addressed to a Mrs Scott in Raleigh, North Carolina.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDid you open it?\u201d Joe asked, leaning forward eagerly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, of course not.\u201d Roy looked appalled as though such a question intimated a dereliction of duty on his behalf. \u00a0\u201cWe took a note of the address and then sent the letter on to its addressee.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam and Joe exchanged a look and a grin, addressee indeed. Roy had obviously been consulting Mr Rothwell, the County Lawyer, as to the legal position of such items, and whether or not he could legally be entitled to open the letter. \u00a0Roy drew himself up straight backed, and looked around,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, I guess I could ride in back to town with you boys.\u201d he said, and looked over at Marie who smiled and touched him gently on the knee<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll get you some coffee, Roy. \u00a0After that trip you deserve one,\u201d she said, and with a smile left the room.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSo, how is Clay?\u201d Roy asked once again.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s doing alright, Roy. \u00a0Should be up and about on his feet before too long.\u201d \u00a0Joe replied, looking at the sheriff anxiously, \u201cIs this to do with that Zedekiah shooting?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cZedekiah Murphy is no longer under custody. Martin Ogden and he came to some sort of agreement and there\u2019s no charges being pursued against him. \u00a0 I thought I\u2019d let you know he\u2019s still steamin\u2019 though. \u00a0 Mrs Murphy has told him he\u2019s not welcome back home and that hasn\u2019t sweetened his temper much either.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSo what has this to do with Clay?\u201d Joe asked evenly, although it knew the answer was staring him in the face.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSo far as Murphy is concerned all his problems are due to your brother coming into town and sitting in on that card game where he lost everything. \u00a0Now, I\u2019m just advising you boys, tell Clay to stay out of town. I don\u2019t want trouble there, I don\u2019t want him escaping a paid killer like Scott just to fall dead on my doorstep from an idiot like Murphy.\u201d he stroked his moustache thoughtfully, \u201cNow, I\u2019ve told you I\u2019d like you to tell me the truth about those wanted posters I saw in Placerville. \u00a0What\u2019s Clay done that I should know about?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNothing,\u201d Marie said from behind them, her chin tilted haughtily, \u201cClay has done nothing that should concern you, Roy.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She came in and placed the tray on the table, then poured out the coffee while the four men sat there without saying a word. \u00a0Adam cleared his throat, and once again pulled at his collar,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cRoy, whatever happened was long in the past -\u201d he began and faltered when he got a piercing glare from Marie, \u201cIt doesn\u2019t really concern you.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThe fact that a paid killer like Scott comes into town and tried to kill him, that there are wanted posters out for his arrest, don\u2019t concern me?\u201d \u00a0Roy\u2019s eyes widened and his moustache bristled a sure sign that his temper was getting frayed, \u201cDo I have to remind you that I\u2019m the law around here? \u00a0That I need to know some facts in order, not just to apprehend people, but to protect \u2018em as well?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He picked up his cup and saucer and sipped at the coffee, and nodded. He enjoyed coffee here at the Ponderosa, it was nothing like the stewed brew they made in the office back in town. \u00a0He looked at them and Marie sighed as she sat down and picked up her cup and saucer,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt was a situation similar to the one with Mr Murphy. \u00a0The only difference is that the other man was killed.\u201d she glanced over the rim of the cup at Roy, hoping he would see the appeal in her eyes.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAnd where was this?\u201d Roy put his cup down and it rattled against the saucer.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIn Texas.\u201d Marie replied.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Roy nodded and frowned. \u00a0He looked at them again and shook his head,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBY rights I should arrest him and send him to face the charges,\u201d he said quietly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThere were witnesses who testified that he acted in self defence,\u201d Adam glanced over at Joe, hoping the youth would have the sense to keep quiet, \u201cLook, if it helps, I\u2019ll stand as surety for Clay.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou do that,\u201d Roy said, \u201cAnd tell him to stay out of town, especially from the gambling joints. \u00a0If he causes any trouble, Adam, I\u2019ll have to arrest him.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe hasn\u2019t done anything wrong here, Roy.\u201d Joe said rather testily, jutting out his chin in the same haughty manner as his mother had only moments previously.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s done enough,\u201d Roy answered the boy gently, knowing how easily Joe could get steamed up and end up saying the wrong things, things that a lawman didn\u2019t need to know and in this instance, didn\u2019t want to know. \u201cJust tell him, would you?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 105<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Cartwrights arrived in town a little later than intended by which time the party was in full swing. \u00a0 Lanterns twinkled around the building like so many stars, and the music and babble of voices indicated that everyone was out to enjoy themselves.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lil was pleased at being able to wear something other than the tawdry clothes designated to saloon girls. \u00a0Her dress was a soft lilac colour with lace fringing the sleeves and neckline. \u00a0She couldn\u2019t help but wonder if she would appeal more to Mr Adam Cartwright in this style of clothing and smiled at herself in the mirror. \u00a0After striking several poses by way of practice to see how effective the pose would be, she appeared satisfied. \u00a0She left the boarding house in a happy frame of mind.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joy was delirious with excitement. When Lil entered the saloon she was immediately pounced upon and forced to accompany her friend into her room and select which dress had to \u00a0be worn for the occasion. \u00a0Lil had been delighted at the change Charley had brought to the saloon, having cleared away the tables and covered the walls with bunting and flags. \u00a0 Trestle tables had been set up and were positively groaning under the weight of the food. \u00a0 He had put a sign \u201cPrivate Party – Invitation Only\u201d on the doors, and insisted that the loss of business for the sake of his little girls enjoyment meant nothing to him at all. \u00a0The fact that he kept repeating how much he was going to lose out only proved the opposite.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The girls chattered and laughed an hour away. \u00a0It was only when the music could be heard filtering through the doors and the chatter of guests sifted through the cracks in the walls that they finally emerged. \u00a0Joy resplendent in blue.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Clay had listened to the last echo of the horses hoof beats as the family left the Ponderosa. \u00a0 He had felt well enough to move about now, and he had been able to get up and down the stairs with less difficulty than he had expected. \u00a0He sat in the big leather chair and looked up at Ben Cartwright\u2019s portrait.<\/p>\n \u201cYou know,\u201d he said quietly in the silence of the big room, \u201cI wonder if you and I would have gotten on well? \u00a0Would we have met? \u00a0Perhaps not \u2026 but I salute your excellent taste in whiskey, sir, and in women, and the fact that you sure must have had one great life.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He smiled and closed his eyes. \u00a0It was pleasant enough here, by the fire, with the whiskey decanter near at hand. \u00a0He smiled more broadly as he wondered if his plan for the evenings entertainment \u00a0would succeed. \u00a0 He could not but help give a little chuckle to himself at the thought of how well he had managed to get things rolling. Hank Myers had been a great ally, and Clay waited now for the knock on the door that would admit the big man. So long as Hank didn\u2019t spoil things by bursting into song, all would go wonderfully well.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Sure enough the knock came to the door and Hank peered inside. \u00a0With a grin as big as a Cheshire cat\u2019s Hank closed the door behind him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAlright, Boss,\u201d he said, \u201cLet\u2019s start the ball rolling \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam leaned against the wall and watched as Hoss and Sue Ellen formed the arch under which the other dancers would pass under. \u00a0Joe and Joy, all flushed and twinkling of eyes, hand in hand, were the first couple, swiftly followed by Marie and Paul. \u00a0Adam smiled, and watched as they formed lines to turn to the left and to the right, pair up at the end, and then swirl down the centre.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t dancing this evening, Adam?\u201d Matt Fraser asked, as he watched the couples dancing and whooping on the dance floor.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOnly the slow ones,\u201d Adam laughed, and looked at Matt\u2019s empty glass, \u201cHey, let me fill your glass, Matt.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThanks, Adam,\u201d Matt smiled and passed the glass over, \u201cYour other brother isn\u2019t here then?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cEr – Clay? \u00a0No, he isn\u2019t well enough just yet,\u201d Adam replied, handing the glass back now filled with punch, \u201cI was thinking twice about it myself but I wanted to see Lil. \u00a0She\u2019s done us a lot of favours during the past weeks and it was the least I could do to come and thank her personally.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHuh huh, she\u2019s a nice enough girl. \u00a0So who brought your Ma this evening?\u201d Matt raised the glass to his lips and tried to look nonchalant, but the question brought a smile to Adam\u2019s lips which he tried to hide behind his own glass,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cErr, we did. Accompanied by Roy who, as you can see, has actually changed his shirt and tie for the occasion.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Matt laughed, a pleasant deep throated chuckle. \u00a0 It reminded Adam of his father\u2019s laugh, and for some reason made him wonder just how fond of Marie the man really was now. \u00a0Had the incident with David Carter dampened the man\u2019s ardour?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMa\u2019s a good looking woman, isn\u2019t she?\u201d he said in a quiet slow drawl, while he watched Matt closely.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cShe is,\u201d Matt replied with the slightest red tinge showing beneath his collar, \u201cAnd more besides. \u00a0 I\u2019ve seen a lot of women over the years go through similar hardships to your Ma, Adam, and right battle axes they\u2019ve ended up being too. \u00a0Faces like hatchets and voices to match. \u00a0 Seems living out so far from the niceties of the East makes \u2019em \u00a0curdle like sour milk. \u00a0But not your Ma. \u00a0 She\u2019s pure gold, through and through.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell,\u201d Adam sighed, and softened his voice, \u201cPa always said she was like a breath of springtime in the house.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d Matt said with a sigh of his own, \u201cHe often said that to me as well.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n They both fell silent, remembering the big man in their own individual way, and watching the woman who had stolen his heart dancing with Paul Martin.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Clay rubbed his hands and shook his head,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYour loss, my friend,\u201d he chuckled, as he placed an Ace of hearts down on the table.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The three men sharing the table with him groaned, slammed down their cards, and watched him pull the money over beside him. \u00a0He beckoned to Hank, who came promptly to refill the glasses. \u00a0Brian Manson gave a chuckle as he sipped the whiskey from the expensive cut crystal glass that Ben Cartwright had had shipped over years previously all the way from Boston.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIf Ben Cartwright could see us now, he\u2019d turn in his grave,\u201d he laughed.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat was he like?\u201d Clay asked, \u201cI only get to hear about him as father and husband here, \u00a0not as the man himself.\u201d he shuffled the cards thoroughly and then began to deal them out.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBen was a hard nosed business man,\u201d Manson said, putting down the glass and swiftly looking up a the portrait that now seemed to be glowering down at them, \u201cHe knew when to take risks, and he took plenty of them. \u00a0He knew what it was all about, all right. I\u2019d not want to cross him, he had a way with him that could whittle a man down to nothing just by looking at him.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe was honest, fair minded, and just,\u201d Jim Logan muttered, picking up his cards and swearing softly under his breath. \u00a0He picked up his \u00a0cigar and puffed hard, \u201cI always had the highest respect for him, although I never had personal dealings with him you understand.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n No one commented on that, Jim Logan was a \u2019mole\u2019 when Ben was alive, ferreting down in the dirt of his claim and praying for the \u2019 big one\u2019. \u00a0 He finally made it when Ben had been in the grave six years. \u00a0Now Jim Logan was a rich man, unmarried, and enjoying losing his money steadily at the gaming tables.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe could be ruthless. \u00a0Could be arrogant, mean tempered. \u00a0Adam, his eldest, well, he\u2019s turning out just like his old man I guess.\u201d the fourth man at the table volunteered. \u00a0He was a homesteader called Andy Sutherland with borders on the Ponderosa. \u00a0He had three children, and his wife had died in childbirth four years previously. \u00a0\u201cBut he had a kindly heart. \u00a0I can remember when we first came here twenty years back. \u00a0 Had nothing, owed everything. \u00a0He kept us going with meat and stuff \u00a0until we could stand on our two feet. \u00a0Him and Will Cass were our life line. \u00a0But, like Manson here says, I\u2019d not want to cross him. \u00a0No, sirree..\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Clay glanced over at Hank, who was sitting in on the game now, and checking his own hand. \u00a0 But the big man preferred to keep his own counsel, and concentrated on the cards he had been dealt rather than volunteer any information.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Money was laid down, drinks poured and cigars smoked. \u00a0Time ticked away the hours. \u00a0By mid-night the room was empty. \u00a0Windows were opened to the night sky so that fresh air breezed into the room. \u00a0 Hank took his \u2019cut\u2019 for having completed his errands so well and disappeared to the bunkhouse taking the evidence of empty bottles and cigar stubs away with him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Clay took himself to bed. \u00a0The money he had won was neatly rolled up and placed in a sock concealed in a drawer. \u00a0He fell asleep looking as peacefully innocent as a child.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAnd, are you still in any pain?\u201d Lil looked at Adam with big eyes, one of her practised poses that had looked good in the mirror but now had the effect of reminding Adam of the first little heifer he had ever owned.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNot so much, Lil. \u00a0It just means I can\u2019t do any wild dancing, for this evening anyway.\u201d Adam took her empty glass and placed it on the table. \u00a0\u201cBut here\u2019s a waltz and I can manage that, with \u00a0you. \u00a0Shall we?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t -\u201d she stuttered and then blushed and nodded, so what if she trod on his toes, he was surely man enough to handle it.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe sat with Joy in the far corner of the room, holding hands, her head on his shoulder, and her copper curls scattered like thin golden threads of silk upon his best jacket,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll miss you so much, Joe,\u201d she whispered and looked \u00a0up at him, and sighed.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNot half as much as I\u2019ll miss you,\u201d Joe whispered in return, and wished he could kiss those lips so willingly offered up to him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a pity there\u2019s so many people here,\u201d she giggled,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI was just thinking the same thing.\u201d Joe replied, and squeezed her hand, \u201cBut my Ma would just about kill me if I left the room with you. \u00a0Then Adam would tan my hide and nail it to the bunkhouse wall.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou are a tease,\u201dshe laughed and turned her head, and kissed him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Matt Fraser touched Marie gently on the shoulder and smiled as she turned,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMatt? \u00a0You\u2019ve been here all evening and not asked me to dance yet.\u201d she scolded, with a little laugh in her voice.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI was about to ask now,\u201d he said, offering her his hand, \u201cIt\u2019s a waltz.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI know,\u201d she sighed, and took his hand.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n They passed Adam and Lil, Hoss and who was it this time \u2026Beth Anne? \u00a0She saw Joe and Joy whispering together in the corner and was relieved that the girl was leaving town the next day. Then she looked at Matt and smiled,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t thank you properly for the help you gave us when that Scott nearly killed Adam and Clay.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI thought you had.\u201d he looked straight ahead, trying to remember the steps.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhen I first came here, I mean, the first dance Ben ever took me to,\u201d Marie said softly, \u201cI wondered what on earth was going on . \u00a0Such a difference to the dances we had back home in New Orleans.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThere must have been a lot of differences for you to accept, Marie, being married to Ben and coming out here to live.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes. \u00a0Some were good and some, not so good.\u201d she sighed, and looked around her, \u201cAll that whooping and tossing girls up in the air, I\u2019d never seen dancing like that before, it all seemed very wild and abandoned to me. \u00a0I had to change my views if I wanted to be accepted by the very few women that were here at the time. \u00a0Most of the women were – well – not of the type I was used to back home. \u00a0But, as you say, Matt, there are good and bad things, one has to adapt.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou adapted very well, Marie.\u201d he said, and as her hair brushed against his cheek he sighed and held her just a little closer.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBen helped me to do so, and you did as well, Matt. \u00a0Do you remember the evenings you used to come over to spend with us? \u00a0 Ben enjoyed them. \u00a0I did too.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He nodded, remembering them very well. \u00a0Back in the past, back in the old days when life was good because they were young and had all their future ahead of them.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter `106<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cLil, what do you want to do with your life?\u201d Adam asked the young girl seated at his side watching the dancing couples whirl pass them.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d she looked at him, surprised that he would ask her such a question on an occasion such as this, \u201cI don\u2019t know. I haven\u2019t thought about it.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cCome now, you must have done. \u00a0You\u2019ve proven yourself to be a very enterprising young woman. \u00a0Intelligent and able to use your initiative. \u00a0Surely you don\u2019t want to stay here as a saloon girl?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s nothing wrong with being a saloon girl,\u201d Lil said defensively, only too well aware of the reputation that went with the job. \u00a0In most cases it was totally unfounded, but there had been enough instances to cast doubt on the most innocent. \u00a0\u201cBesides, I know I won\u2019t be able to work here all the time, anyway.\u201d her brow crinkled in thought, and she looked at him again wondering if he thought badly of her for being such as she was, but she saw the kindly expression in his eyes, and knew that he had not intended to cause her any hurt by the question, \u201cI suppose, I\u2019d like to get married and have children.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBut before then?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She swallowed a lump in her throat. \u00a0Perhaps at the back of her mind she had thought it could be a prelude to his asking her to walk out with him, a form of courtship with a view to marriage, but this latter question rather put an end to that dream. \u00a0She slumped down slightly in her chair and looked around the room at the swirling colours of the dresses the women were wearing, and they all seemed to merge as the tears welled up in her eyes.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s the matter, Lil? \u00a0Have I upset you?\u201d he asked, leaning forwards and pushing a handkerchief into her hand, \u201cI\u2019m sorry, that was never my intention.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI know. \u00a0I\u2019m sorry.\u201d she whispered huskily and dabbed at her eyes. \u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s just that – that I thought – perhaps you meant something else.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSomething else?\u201d he looked puzzled, and shook his head as though wondering what she was inferring, \u201cNo, Lil, I wasn\u2019t inferring anything else at all. I\u2019m just interested in your future, as a friend, that\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes, of course,\u201d she whispered still, \u201cThat\u2019s all, of course it is.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He looked at her again, realising perhaps now what it was that she was meaning, understanding more clearly the comments of his brothers about how she felt for him, and he sighed and reached out a hand to take hold of hers,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cLil, why not go with Joy tomorrow. \u00a0Get away from here and start afresh.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJust like that?\u201d she looked at him incredulously, and wondered if he really understood how hurtful his words were to her, \u201cWith what may I ask? \u00a0A saloon girl doesn\u2019t earn much you know?\u201d and she blinked, releasing two tears that coursed down her cheeks and dripped onto her lilac skirt.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cLil,\u201d he tightened his grip on her hand, knowing that he had hurt her feelings and that most girls instinctively tend to rather slap the offender or get up and run, causing a scene and sorting out nothing, \u201cLil, listen to me, would you, please?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She bowed her head and nodded, waited for him to speak,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re a bright clever girl and I owe you my life for the way you helped us with regard to Scott. \u00a0I\u2019m fond of you, Lil, and I want to do what I can to make you have a happier life.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHow could I be happier anywhere else than here, near you?\u201d she blurted out, and then turned her head away, feeling the heat of her blushes as they mantled her cheeks, \u201cI\u2019m sorry, I shouldn\u2019t have said that, but it\u2019s true.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHow could you be happy here, Lil, if – if I can\u2019t feel the same way,\u201d he replied, keeping his voice low but loud enough for her to hear about the music and the whooping and hollering going on in the saloon as the dancing continued.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cCould you never feel the same for me, Adam?\u201d she whispered, looking at him tearfully, and she looked into his brown eyes and saw the sadness there, \u201cDo you love someone else?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d he replied honestly, \u201cNo, I don\u2019t. \u00a0 Perhaps we will meet again one day and things will be different, but at the moment I just want you to make the most of your life. \u00a0I want to help you achieve all that you are capable of, Lil. \u00a0It\u2019s more than working here, waiting for \u00a0– \u00a0for someone to marry you one day.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n That was it then, he had sounded the death knell on her hopes and dreams. \u00a0She wiped her tears away and looked steadily ahead of her. \u00a0Joy and Joe were holding hands and whispering together, looking happy. \u00a0She wondered once again why it was that she could not be sharing that same kind of pleasure with Adam. \u00a0She felt the warmth of his fingers curling around her hand, and closed her eyes again as the intensity of her longing for him made her shiver.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cLil?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She nodded. \u00a0She had handled losses in her life since a child. \u00a0She would have to handle this loss too, and, after all, it was just a dream. \u00a0Her heart was still beating within her breast, still thudding away beneath her ribs. \u00a0She looked at him<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know anyone other than the people here. \u00a0I have no friends, no family.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou have Joy. \u00a0You have us. \u00a0Look, I have written here the addresses of two of my friends who would be more than pleased to have you stay with them. \u00a0If you feel you would like to try out this – this adventure – tell me, and I shall write a letter to them which you can deliver when you get there.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cApart from having no friends and no family,\u201d Lil continued on doggedly, \u201cI have no money except for this weeks salary, and I have to pay for my board out of that, and for this stupid dress.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a very pretty dress, Lil, and you look lovely in it.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, I don\u2019t. \u00a0I\u2019m not a lovely kind of person.\u201d she looked again at him, and then away from him, watching the dancing. \u00a0\u201cI \u00a0– I don\u2019t know what kind of work I could do, I couldn\u2019t be a Governess like Joy, I never went to school like her.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMy friends would know what kind of work you\u2019d enjoy doing, Lil. \u00a0As for money, you have the reward money from Scott, remember?\u201d he smiled encouragingly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWas there a reward then?\u201d she looked at him with widening eyes, \u201cI didn\u2019t think Mr Coffee knew for sure yet.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, there was, and quite a sizeable one at that.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She said nothing. \u00a0But looked at him and her eyes took in the depths of his own, the long lashes, the freckles that chased over his nose, the dark shadow of his jaw line and the black hair that curled by his ears. \u00a0A handsome man. \u00a0But not the man to love a girl like her.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAre you sure I can do it, Mr Cartwright.\u201d she said quietly, \u201cBecause if you are, then I shall.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHurry up, Hoss.\u201d Joe\u2019s voice echoed through the big room, the clock chimed the hour, and Hoss thundered down the stairs, one boot on and one boot off, \u201cAren\u2019t you even ready yet? \u00a0The stage will be leaving before we even get half way to town. \u00a0I promised Joy I\u2019d be there to see her off.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cShucks, I overslept.\u201d \u00a0Hoss sat down on the third step up and pulled on his boot, ran his fingers through his unkempt hair, and stood up, \u00a0\u201cRight, I\u2019m ready, little brother.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cC\u2019mon then, Adam\u2019s ready and impatient, you know what he\u2019s like if he\u2019s kept waiting too long.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYeah, sure, sure.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHere\u2019s your hat.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThanks, Joe. \u00a0Have you seen – oh, there it is.\u201d he pulled on his gunbelt and sniffed, then shook his head.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHave you got a cold coming?\u201d Joe demanded, pulling down his jacket and thrusting his arms into the sleeves, \u201cStop sniffing. \u00a0Hurry up.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t stop sniffing. I keep smelling summat that makes me sniff.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHave you got your coat?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t need my coat. \u00a0Shucks, Joe, will you stop fussin\u2019, you\u2019re worse\u2019n an old woman.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The brothers slammed the door behind them and hurried across the porch towards the yard where Adam, already mounted on Sport, was holding the reins of Chubb and Cochise. \u00a0He gave them both a sombre glare,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat kept you both?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt was him,\u201d Joe jerked his head in Hoss\u2019 direction, \u201cKept sniffing and holding things up.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSniffing? \u00a0Have you a cold coming on or something, Hoss?\u201d Adam asked, looking at his big brother anxiously. \u00a0Hoss was always such a mess when he had a cold.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNope, I ain\u2019t got a cold. And if you must know there\u2019s something smelly in the house that makes me sniff.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe shook his head and cantered pass them both, eager to get to town in time to say goodbye to Joy, and to give her the little gift he had prepared for her. Adam glanced at Hoss quizzically and then followed on after Joe, soon joined by Hoss.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Marie heard them go and looked up at the clock. \u00a0She smiled and thought of the dance, of the pretty girl who had danced all evening with Joe and every chance she had to speak to her, had quizzed her about Clay. \u00a0 Then she sighed at the thought of her son, Clay. \u00a0He had not joined them for breakfast, complaining of feeling not so well. \u00a0He had insisted that the drapes remained closed and the room stayed in darkness. \u00a0He had been uncommunicative, and when she had threatened to draw back the drapes he had pulled the covers over his head and stayed put. \u00a0 She shook her head, and chided herself. \u00a0Perhaps she was being overly harsh, and expecting too \u00a0much from him. \u00a0Just because Adam was so stubborn that he pushed himself regardless of his injuries, she had no right to expect the same from Clay. \u00a0After all, she reminded herself, she barely knew him really.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She looked up at the sound of a polite cough. \u00a0Her eyes met the sloe black eyes of Hop Sing who looked back at her with a worried look on his usually pleasantly placid face.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong, Hop Sing?\u201d she asked and smiled.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBig mystery,\u201d Hop Sing replied, and nodded as though to emphasise the matter.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joy took the little box with the pale blue ribbon and held it close to her heart. \u00a0Then she threw her arms around Joe and hugged him tight, kissed him several times over, allowed him to kiss her back, and then promised to write copious letters.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lil stood back and waited for Joy\u2019s boxes and cases to be arranged on top of the stage. \u00a0She was dressed smartly in a grey suit with black trimmings. \u00a0She didn\u2018t like to say that it was a hand me down from Laura Dayton who had explained that since she had been pregnant with Peggy she could no longer fit into it. \u00a0However, it was new to her, and she stood there with her valise in her hands, waiting for the driver to put it somewhere safe.<\/p>\n Adam gave her two letters, and then a packet which, when she peeked inside, contained more money than she had ever seen before, even more than Charley had in his till at night.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t think the reward money would come through so quickly,\u201d she had said when she saw it.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt was sent special delivery,\u201d Adam explained, taking her elbow and drawing her away from the crowd, \u201cLil, you aren\u2019t angry with me, are you?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, how could I be angry with you?\u201d she replied softly, and her eyes grew large as she looked up at him, and she smiled, \u201cLife would be too easy if everything worked out just right for us all, all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI guess it would,\u201d he smiled, took off his hat, and lowered his head, \u201cTake care, won\u2019t you? \u00a0My friends will take good care of you, Lil.\u201d and then he kissed her very sweetly on the mouth.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She knew then for sure that he didn\u2019t love her. \u00a0It was a tender, gentle kiss, but nothing more. \u00a0She wanted to kiss him back with a passion, but there was no point. \u00a0She closed her eyes, relished it for the seconds it lasted, and then drew away with a smile. \u00a0Even though her heart was racing, it was not broken.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 107<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Mrs Esmond Scott sat very still in her arm chair. \u00a0She thought over what the two men had told her during their visit. \u00a0She could hear their footsteps outside the room as they were being taken to the front door. \u00a0There, now, the door slammed. \u00a0It shut out the two men who had intruded into her orderly life to tell her that they had received news about her husband.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She thought back to the interview now as she sat in her big room with the gold gilt edged furniture and picture frames. She could see a reflection of herself in the huge mirror on the far side of the room, of course, she had to screw up her eyes a little to get it into focus. \u00a0Mrs Scott was rather short sighted.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She looked down at her lap and looked at her hands. \u00a0She wore five rings. \u00a0Her wedding ring was the most insignificant. \u00a0She sighed deeply and stood up, walked to the bell rope that would summon her maid, and then waited, standing very still.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Esmond Scott was dead. \u00a0Shot dead while in Nevada. \u00a0Where was Nevada? \u00a0Virginia City, they had said. \u00a0Where was Virginia City? \u00a0How had he been shot dead and why? \u00a0The men had said they were from the Police Station in Raleigh, but she had never been inside the place. \u00a0Odd questions whirled around her head. \u00a0What was Esmond doing in Virginia City?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The maid entered and looked at her mistress, and then bobbed a curtsey.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cEsme, get my black mourning dress ready.\u201d Mrs Scott heard herself say the words, and wondered briefly what they meant. \u00a0Of course, Esmond was dead. \u00a0She was a widow. She wore black now. \u00a0She straightened her back. The girls would need to be told. But she would change first, after she had written a note.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She walked to the writing bureau and took out pen, ink and paper. \u00a0After scribbling a few words and putting them into an envelope, sealing it, she again pulled the bell rope. \u00a0This time a manservant appeared, and bowed courteously.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDeliver this to Mr Buchanan, would you, please?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She could feel her heart thudding and wondered if people could see it beneath the silk of her dress. \u00a0She left the room and slowly mounted the stairs to her bed chamber, to get changed into her widow\u2019s weeds.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe regret, Madam, to tell you that your husband was killed recently in Virginia City, Nevada.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She sat in front of the mirror and looked at her reflection. \u00a0\u201cWe regret\u2026\u201d they had said, but what had they to regret? \u00a0They had not known Esmond. \u00a0\u201cKilled recently in Virginia City.\u201d \u00a0Ridiculous. \u00a0Where was Virginia City anyway?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She dressed with the help of her maid, saying nothing, not answering her maid\u2019s questions, because she did not really know what to say. \u00a0How do you tell anyone, least of all a maid, that your husband had gone to an unknown town and got shot? \u00a0Where was the sense of it all?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She looked good in black. It suited her, slimmed her down a little, and made her look statelier. \u00a0She wore her diamond necklace and ear bobs. \u00a0They suited the black dress wonderfully well.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ten minutes after she had returned to her gilt chair in the big room the manservant returned, to announce the arrival of Mr Buchanan, who was stepping into the room even before the announcement was finished. \u00a0He paused long enough for the man to close the door and then within several strides was across the floor, and had swept her up into his arms.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Their embrace was to say the least, passionate. \u00a0She giggled and he guffawed. \u00a0They kissed and held one another tightly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t believe it.\u201d she whispered, holding him close, \u201cEsmond is dead. \u00a0The police came and said he\u2019d been shot. \u00a0They said there was a letter on its way to me to explain, that Esmond had written to me in the event of his death. \u00a0But I don\u2019t understand how he came to be shot in Virginia City.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Buchanan released her, and she sat down and smiled up at him. \u00a0The affair had worked well for nearly two years. \u00a0Clandestine as these things were doomed to be, but now, no longer secret. \u00a0He walked to the table and poured out some wine, and gave her a glass. \u00a0Then he seated himself and faced her, a glass in his own hand,<\/p>\n \u201cDid you never read the story of David and Bathsheba, my dear?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, was it a love story?\u201d she asked, looking at him with a besotted look on her face.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes, in a way. \u00a0David fell in love with Bathsheba, a beautiful woman. \u00a0He was King of Israel and Bathsheba was a married woman. \u00a0Because he was powerful he arranged for his Commander in Chief to send Bathsheba\u2019s husband into the head of the battle, so ensuring his death. \u00a0And, then, when her husband was dead, he married his Bathsheba.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She blinked, and then nodded and smiled. \u00a0The immoral aspects of the story she dismissed entirely, the main point, to her, was that the husband was dead, leaving Bathsheba free to marry. \u00a0She released her breath, of course, she was now a widow\u2026 but not for long.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 108<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The ranch house stood taller than the Ponderosa, imposingly so. \u00a0It was set amongst trees which shaded it during the heat of the summers and gave some protection when the snow and rain came. \u00a0There were stables and corrals to the left, and a low bunk house to the right. \u00a0 \u00a0Matt had an imposing entrance to the track that led to the house, a wide gateway with the name of the ranch engraved across the top \u2026 It was called Wingate. \u00a0Not even Matt could explain why he chose that name, but he was happy with it.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He and his wife, Gloria, had arrived in at Eagle Station not long after Ben, Adam and Hoss. \u00a0 In some ways Gloria had been a surrogate mother to the little boys, and the friendship had been long and enduring. \u00a0Ben had grieved, along with Matt, when Gloria had caught typhoid during the year it had ran wild through the township and had died. \u00a0It had been a hard time for Matt and a lonely one, and when Ben had left after Jean de Maligney\u2019s death Matt and Hop Sing had shared the responsibilities of care for Adam and Hoss.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He had admired and respected Marie as soon as he met her, and those feelings had eventually grown to a deep and abiding love for her. \u00a0Had she but given him any indication that there could be a responsive feeling from her he would not have hesitated to pursue a courtship. \u00a0But there had been none, and her brief liaison with David Carter had surprised him, and in many ways, had caused him severe hurt as well as having knocked his confidence.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The day he had found Clay injured and Marie at the man\u2019s side he had returned home and vowed not to think of Marie Cartwright with feelings of love anymore. \u00a0 It was obvious that her love was bound up still with Ben, and that her newly discovered son, along with the Cartwright boys, were her world. \u00a0He would have no share in it, except on its peripherals, as a friend.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n George Watson pushed open the door of the ranch house and yelled out his boss\u2019 name, and upon receiving a response, he turned and smiled at the visitor and pushed the door wider so that Marie could enter the room.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It was a large comfortable room. \u00a0Similar in style to the Ponderosa although Matt and Gloria had less stonework showing, having covered it with solid planks of wood. \u00a0Like the Ponderosa is was far more masculine in style, and the big stone chimney breast and hearth dominated the room. \u00a0Years ago Ben and the boys had helped the Frasers build this chimney, just as they, in turn had assisted Ben to build the one in the Ponderosa. \u00a0There was a lot of memories bonding the two families and this was one of them.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Marie stood in the centre of the room, waiting for Matt to realise she was there, for he was engrossed in checking figures and with George not actually telling him he had a visitor he had no idea of her presence. \u00a0She smiled, untied her hat, and took it off. \u00a0Then she looked around the room to see if there had been any changed since her last visit. \u00a0She realised, guiltily, that she could not even remember when she had last made that visit.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The portrait of Gloria, painted in oils by an itinerant artist a year before she died, was still where it had always been and Marie picked it up and surveyed the face of the woman she had never met but knew so well. \u00a0 A happy pleasant face, with blue eyes and black hair testifying to her Irish heritage. \u00a0She turned and realised that Matt was looking at her, they both shared a smile,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Marie, I hadn\u2019t realised you were here.\u201d he came from behind the desk and indicated the chair, \u201cSit down, I\u2019ll get Chow to make some coffee. \u00a0No cake, I\u2019m afraid, Chow doesn\u2019t make cakes, but his biscuits are very good.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll just have coffee, Matt, thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She sat down and relaxed. \u00a0The chair was old and comfortable. It was good to relax. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to sink into the chair, with the fire warming her. \u00a0The room was squared off as there were doors dividing the dining area from the sitting area, which cut off the views to the rear of the house, until one opened up the doors and stepped into the other room where the big window overlooked the beautiful mountains beyond.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Matt came and leaned over to pick up some logs and throw them on the fire, scattering red embers onto the hearth. \u00a0He stood there awhile looking at her, and then sat down,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSo, Marie, what brings you here? \u00a0Is there a problem? \u00a0It\u2019s some time since you made a social call here?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI know. \u00a0I was thinking the same thing, Matt. \u00a0It\u2019s been too long, and I apologise, but life has just been so busy,\u201d and she smiled.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes, of course\u201d Matt nodded and leaned back. Life has been busy, but still left her with enough time to get a courtship going with that murderous scum David Carter. He looked away as Chow brought in the coffee on a tray and set it down on the table.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Like Hop Sing, Chow was cook, chuck wagon chef, general factotum, and friend. \u00a0He was discretion himself and now retreated quietly back to the kitchen. \u00a0Matt poured his guest coffee,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong then?\u201d he asked, passing her a cup and saucer.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s Clay.\u201d she replied without hesitation. \u00a0\u201cI didn\u2019t know who else to talk to, Matt. \u00a0You\u2019ve always been such a loyal good friend and you were the only person I could think of to come and talk to about Clay.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIs he ill? \u00a0I mean, has his condition worsened?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, his health is improving. He\u2019s doing very well. \u00a0It\u2019s just that – \u201c she sipped her coffee, while she tried to remember how she was going to phrase the problem, she looked over at Matt. \u00a0He was so like Ben in some ways, but there were ways in which they were so unalike. \u00a0Ben could erupt like Mt Versuvius, whereas Matt was calm and slow, placid. \u00a0She put the cup back into the saucer and set it down upon the table,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMatt, Clay is – someone I don\u2019t know.\u201d she paused, frowned, \u201cA stranger. A charming, happy go lucky young man whom I love because he is my son. I thought I would know him as well as I know Joe, but I don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s not surprising. \u00a0He is a stranger really, raised by his family, and just suddenly appearing in your life. \u00a0What did you expect, Marie?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI guess I expected things to be more straightforward. Perhaps, Clay would be more like Joe, but then he has not had the influence of Ben and myself. He\u2019s a de Maligney.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOf course, what else ? \u00a0That proves he\u2019s your husband\u2019s son, if nothing else.\u201d Matt smiled, he had met Jean and liked him, but he could see quite clearly the similarities between father and son.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI meant, he has the traits of the de Maligney\u2019s. \u00a0They are – what can I say ? \u00a0Look, Matt, Jean\u2019s grandfather once lost all the family property at the toss of a dice. \u00a0 His wife came home from visiting friends and found a wagonload of personal goods that the new owners allowed them to take to a house that they had to rent from a friend of theirs. \u00a0He was such a charmer that he befriended the new owners so that they could visit the family home as often as they could, it was his son, Jean\u2019s father, who won some of the place back.\u201d she sighed, \u201cDid you hear about what happened in town the other week, before Clay was injured? \u00a0 He was prepared to gamble with the Ponderosa payroll.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes, I heard about that, and about Zedekiah Murphy.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s in the blood. \u00a0Jean was almost as bad, but thankfully, it was somewhat more restrained. \u00a0But Clay! \u00a0 The other evening when we were at the party, he had some men at the Ponderosa, gambling and drinking. He won a lot of money, Matt. \u00a0He always wins.\u201d she frowned, \u201cI know that is what gamblers hope to do, I mean, had a steady streak of winning, but I worry, Matt. It\u2019s bad enough that he gambles so much, but -\u201d she paused and wondered how far to go, how much to tell him, about Texas and Buchanan\u2019s son, both the result of Clay\u2019s gambling habits, or rather, his manner of gambling.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAre you worried about Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHow do you mean?\u201d again she frowned, her eyes wary.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAbout the influence Clay has on him.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes, I am rather,\u201d she replied, quietly. \u00a0\u201cJoe is very impressionable, as you know. \u00a0 He always looked upon Adam as the father figure, when Ben died, you understand? \u00a0 He now has Clay and -\u201d again she paused, chewed on her bottom lip, \u201cWell, Clay and Adam get along alright, but Clay\u2019s influence over Joe is stronger than Adams, and it isn\u2019t for the best. \u00a0I don\u2019t want Joe to grow up with the de Maligney curse. \u00a0He\u2019s good and honest and hard working. \u00a0Clay just wants to cruise through life, going from one adventure to another. \u00a0I don\u2019t know what to do, Matt.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think I\u2019m the best person to come to, Marie.\u201d Matt said quietly, \u201cIt\u2019s a situation that only time will resolve. \u00a0You may have to prepare yourself for disappointments, and hurt, because the whole matter really is in the hands of the young people, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI was hoping, that perhaps, you would talk to Clay. \u00a0Just advise him to not influence Joe so much.\u201d she looked at him plaintively, and Matt felt his heart flip over. \u00a0That was it with Marie, he had loved her for so long now, she was like fire, promising warmth and comfort, but sometimes, it could burn<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll do what I can, Marie. \u00a0But don\u2019t expect too much. \u00a0Clay is your son, and he\u2019s stubborn and obstinate.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThank you,\u201d she laughed, a rich warm laugh, \u201cMy main attributes, stubbornness and obstinacy.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, you\u2019ve needed them.\u201d he said softly, \u201cNow, how about more coffee?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d she shook her head and stood up, picking up her bonnet as she did so, \u201cThank you, Matt, you\u2019re such a dear friend.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n For a moment it seemed as though she were going to lean forward and kiss him, Matt waited and held his breath, but it did not happen. \u00a0He followed her to the door, and opened it,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t be a stranger, Marie.\u201d he said quietly, and his fingers just brushed against hers as she walked away.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 109<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHow are you feeling today?\u201d Adam looked up from his plate and into the face of the young man sitting opposite to him, \u201cFeel like riding out and checking up on some strays today?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d Clay replied and then flashed a shy, charming smile, \u201cI don\u2019t think I could sit a horse for more than an hour. \u00a0But thank you for asking.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hoss raised his eyebrows and nodded, as though he had expected such a reply as the one they had received. \u00a0Adam looked down at his plate once more and began to mop up the remainder of his breakfast.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou shouldn\u2019t even have to think about coming out with us just yet,\u201d Joe said, giving Clay a smile as wide as a barn door, \u201cShucks, you\u2019ve only just got out of your sick bed.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Clay gave his brother a smile of patient endurance, and nodded,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m getting better and quicker than I thought I would have done, thanks to Hop Sing and his – stuff,\u201d he couldn\u2019t suppress a shudder as he said the word, some of the \u2018stuff\u2019 Hop Sing insisted he drank, or had rubbed into him, tasted or smelt disgusting. \u00a0 But he knew it was doing him some good, even if he could not explain why, or how.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell,\u201d Adam got up and away from the table, \u201cPerhaps another day. \u00a0See you later, Clay. \u00a0 See you later, Ma.\u201d and he smiled as he dropped a kiss on Marie\u2019s forehead.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSee you later, Ma.\u201d Joe gave his mother a hurried kiss on the cheek and was rewarded with a bright smile, which was inclusive of Hoss who also kissed her in passing.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSure, Adam. \u00a0See you boys later.\u201d \u00a0Clay smiled and watched the three of them as they went through the ritual of buckling on their gunbelts, pulling on their coats and grabbing at their hats and gloves. \u00a0He leaned back in the chair and poured himself another cup of coffee.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDo you think you will like it enough to stay here, Clay? \u00a0Rounding up strays I mean. Do you see yourself doing that kind of thing?\u201d Marie asked, looking at her son fondly, and affording him a smile that any son would treasure in his heart.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d Clay replied slowly, and looked at her thoughtfully, as though her simple question carried with it something more significant, \u201cI don\u2019t know if I could spend my life chasing cows around, or chopping down wood.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAre you prepared to give it a try?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He frowned slightly, and then took a long drink from his cup before setting it down carefully on the saucer,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMa, have you ever thought of going back to New Orleans?\u201d he leaned forward towards her, and looked earnestly into her face, \u201cBack to the life you grew up in, amongst people you used to know and care about?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThe people I know and care about are here, Clay. \u00a0What are you talking about anyway? \u00a0Do you really think I could leave the Ponderosa and Joe, and the boys, here?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJoe could come too. \u00a0He said he\u2019d never been to New Orleans except once when he was about 12 years old. \u00a0He liked it, in fact, I think he liked it a lot more than you realise, Ma.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe went back to visit some friends there,\u201d Marie said thinking back to that time when, for the first time since her marriage, she had left the Ponderosa. \u00a0She had felt such pride in Joe, and such pride in taking him back to the city where she had been born and raised, she leaned now towards Clay, and reached out to take hold of his hand, \u201cDo you realise that had I known you were alive, we could have met then? \u00a0All these years wasted, both of us thinking the other dead. \u00a0 Your whole life would have been so different, Clay. \u00a0You\u2019ve had a hard time these past few years, being on your own, and with the Buchanan boy\u2019s death on your mind, as well as the death in Texas. \u00a0It\u2019s been hard, Clay, but if you stayed here, you would get to see life as we see it, and you\u2019d be happy here, Clay.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWouldn\u2019t you be happy back in New Orleans, with me and Joe?\u201d he asked, his clear eyes looking at her with a tenderness he did not often show to anyone, \u201cIt\u2019s obvious Adam and Hoss would never leave here. \u00a0This is where there roots are, what their father would want for them. \u00a0But I don\u2019t know if I could live here, Ma, not for good.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThen why not try it, just for the winter. See how you feel when Spring comes.\u201d she sat back, withdrew her hand from his, and smiled, \u201cYou know, as my son, Joe\u2019s brother, that you are accepted here as a member of the family. \u00a0You do feel that, don\u2019t you? \u00a0That you are family?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d Clay smiled and nodded, and poured out more coffee, \u201c I know that, Ma.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDid Joe mention to you then, about going to New Orleans?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt was his suggestion,\u201d Clay added some milk, and stirred it into the coffee, then watched as the liquid went round and round in his cup, \u201cI thought it was a sensible idea.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe would have thought it was what you would have wanted, Clay. \u00a0 It was your influence that made him think that way.\u201d Marie sighed, and thought of Joe with an anxious feeling deep in her heart. \u00a0Then she stood up and left the table, and placed a hand on his shoulder as she passed him \u201cHe\u2019s impressionable, so make sure you use your influence for good, Clay.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He said nothing, but watched her walk away and into the kitchen. \u00a0He bowed his head, to think about what she had said, and the inference behind the words. \u00a0Then he finished his coffee and returned the cup to the saucer before getting to his feet and without a word, going to his room.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 109<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Roy Coffee saw the Cartwright boys ride into town and waved a hand in greeting. \u00a0 It was good to see the three of them in town again. \u00a0Adam seemed no worse the wear for the incident with Scott, and Joe and Hoss were looking cheerful enough.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cEverything going well, boys?\u201d he cried across from the street, and they nodded and raised a hand.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Roy pursed his lips and frowned. \u00a0It still bugged him that he had got no real lead on that Edmund Scott fellow. \u00a0He had sent off the letter with all his personal belongings to the address written on the envelope, but he had not heard from the recipient, nor from the Police in Raleigh. \u00a0 \u00a0It concerned him that Scott had been hired to kill not only Adam, but also Stafford. \u00a0 There just didn\u2019t seem to be a really logical link.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He was pleased to see that Clay had stayed away from town. \u00a0Zedekiah Murphy was still breathing fire and brimstone over the loss of his money. \u00a0Mrs Murphy had taken pity on him now and he was back in the family fold but only if he stopped gambling himself. \u00a0He had promised her he would, but he had not stretched the promise to cover refraining from shooting Clay on sight.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam, followed by his brothers, strolled into the Sazarac and while they found a table – not difficult as there was only one other person there – he ordered the drinks.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou know,\u201d Joe said profoundly, \u201cthe only good thing about winter is that we see less cows. \u00a0I don\u2019t want to see another stray until spring.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou and me both,\u201d Hoss exclaimed and he grinned up at Adam and took his glass, \u201cI\u2019ve been looking forward to this all morning.\u201d he sighed gratefully.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam had just sat down when the doors were flung open and Murphy walked in. \u00a0He looked around, glared at the Cartwright brothers, and then stalked over to them<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSo? \u00a0Where is he? \u00a0Skulking away someplace is he?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWho exactly are we talking about here?\u201d Adam asked, although he already knew the answer.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThat thieving cheat of a brother of yours,\u201d Zedekiah replied, \u201cAnd don\u2019t you try fancy talkin\u2019 to me, Adam Cartwright, I\u2019ve a score to settle with you as well.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWith me?\u201d Adam frowned, \u201cHow do you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou gave my wife money. \u00a0 A man ain\u2019t that generous without reason. \u00a0I want to know what you\u2019ve been doing hanging around my wife.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d like to know what gives you the right to make such filthy insinuations, Murhpy.\u201d Adam growled, pushing back his chair and standing up so abruptly that the chair toppled over with a crash.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cCalm down, the pair of you,\u201d Hoss cried, putting out a restraining hand across Adam\u2019s chest, \u201cMurphy, you should be ashamed of yourself thinking things like that about your wife and Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYeah? \u00a0And just what do you know about it, Hoss?\u201d Murphy spat, \u201cYou tell me how come a man pays off another man\u2019s debts and then his wife don\u2019t let him into the house. \u00a0Tell me that, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPerhaps because some folk are decent enough to want to help you and your family out, perhaps that could be the reason,\u201d Hoss said, his voice higher than usual and his nose just inches away from Zedekiah\u2019s.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYeah, you should be thanking my brother, not accusing him of being too friendly with your wife,\u201d Joe said, nodding his head by way of emphasise.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt was your brother that caused all this trouble,\u201d the other man said, giving the three of them a dark glare, \u201cYou tell him from me, if I see him in town again I\u2019ll make sure he don\u2018t walk out of here on two legs. \u00a0And as for you,\u201d he jabbed his finger at Adam, \u201cdon\u2019t expect me to give you back any money. \u00a0You might as well wait till hell freezes over.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam raised his eyebrows, and said nothing, but righted his chair and sat down. \u00a0They watched as Murphy stomped out of the saloon, crashing the door shut behind him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThere goes a bitter man,\u201d Hoss sighed, \u201cMakes you wonder what turns a man so angry.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYeah, and I rather think he\u2019s serious when he comes to that threat against Clay.\u201d Adam said quietly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s just a load of wind,\u201d Joe muttered, and shrugged, \u201cClay\u2019ll handle him easily enough.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJust remember, Joe, Roy warned Clay not to come into town. \u00a0If there is any trouble then Roy has every right to arrest Clay along with Murphy. \u00a0Don\u2019t forget that now\u2026\u201d Adam sighed, \u201cSeems there\u2019s nothing but trouble lately,\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAre you blaming Clay for that?\u201d Joe said quickly, giving Adam a sharp look beneath his scowling brow.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, I don\u2019t believe I mentioned Clay. \u00a0I just said \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI heard what you said. Seems to me everyone\u2019s blaming Clay for something. It\u2019s not fair.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t be so childish, Joe,\u201d Adam said picking up his glass, \u201cYou can\u2019t say it isn\u2019t fair when it is. \u00a0Clay took a lot of money off of Zedekiah, and gave the man the shock of his life. \u00a0Don\u2019t forget what happened in New Orleans and in Texas. \u00a0You don\u2019t want Clay adding Murphy to the list, do you?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYeah, and trust you to remember about New Orleans and Texas. \u00a0You\u2019ve had a downer on Clay ever since he arrived here. \u00a0I reckon you\u2019re jealous because we get on so well.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNow you are being childish,\u201d Adam scoffed, giving his little brother a smug smile.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe was off his seat quicker than the town drunk when a free round is called out. \u00a0His fist struck Adam full on the jaw, sending the heavier man reeling back in the chair and almost out of it. \u00a0As it was Adam was on his feet with his fist holding onto a handful of Joe\u2019s shirt and giving it a good shake,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIf you do that to me again, little brother, you\u2019ll get a belting you\u2019ve been long overdue.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYeah, well, go ahead, Adam, I\u2019m waiting.\u201d Joe yelled back.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hoss now got up, and yanked Joe away from Adam\u2019s clutches, he gave his youngest brother a good shake, and Adam a glare out of his blue eyes that made Adam step back<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s got into the two of you?\u201d he snapped, \u201cIf Ma were to hear of this she\u2019d been real upset. \u00a0Joe, you quit behaving like a two year old, and finish your drink. \u00a0We\u2019ve business in town, and it\u2019s time to get on with it.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSorry, Adam,\u201d Joe mumbled, \u201cI just didn\u2019t think you were being fair to Clay.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam opened his mouth, then shut it, and shook his head as though it just wasn\u2019t worth bothering about; he finished his drink and got up from the table,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve things to do here in town, so I\u2019ll meet you back home, if not before.\u201d he said quietly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hoss nodded, knowing his brother well enough to realise that Adam needed time away from Joe to cool down. \u00a0He looked at Joe who only shrugged and looked innocently at the far wall.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 110<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat was all that about, Joe? \u00a0Have you been at Charley\u2019s rot gut whiskey?\u201d Hoss demanded as soon as Adam had closed the saloon doors behind him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d Joe replied sharply, and looked at Hoss as though surprised that he could be speaking in this manner to him, \u201cI\u2019m just sick of the way Adam keeps on about Clay.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cExcuse me, Little Brother, but I don\u2019t recall hearing Adam going on some about Clay. \u00a0 He just happened to remind you that Clay needed to keep outa trouble, and for very good reason considering he\u2019s wanted for killing two people in two different states.\u201d Hoss lowered his voice, and darted a sharp look about him as he spoke. Walls were known to have the proverbial ears at times.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cLook, Hoss, we all know how easy it is for people to get themselves killed over nothing hereabouts, and I doubt if Texas is any different. \u00a0 Clay fired in self defence.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s what he told us,\u201d Hoss whispered \u201cAnd there\u2019s no need for you to start gitting riled up again, but it\u2019s a fact, Joe. \u00a0There\u2019s always two sides of a story, and somewhere back in Texas there could be a widow and kids for all we know, like there could have been here, if\u2019n we hadn\u2019t been able to step in and prevent it.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cClay could have died the other week, it seems to me that neither one of you two could have cared less.\u201d Joe hissed, \u00a0his eyes darkening with anger again.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIf we hadn\u2019t been so anxious about Clay why do you think Adam promised Roy to go surety for him?\u201d came Hoss\u2019 swift response.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe\u2019s eyes widened, then he lowered his head and shook it in bewilderment,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t know that, no one told me.\u201d he said quietly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThen you\u2019d best think before you open that mouth of yours in future, Joe.\u201d Hoss picked up his glass and drained it, then moved away from the table, \u201cC\u2019mon, we\u2019ve work to do.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chastened by the discovery of the risk Adam was prepared to take for Clay, Joe said nothing, but finished his drink, and followed his brother out of the saloon.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Roy poured out the coffee and pushed the cup over to Adam, who accepted it gratefully. \u00a0It was cold outside, and it was always pleasant to share some time with Roy in his snug and rather over warm office.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAny news, Roy?\u201d he asked, tilting the chair back onto its rear legs and stretching out his own legs.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNope, nothing. \u00a0I\u2019m mighty vexed I can tell you, Adam. \u00a0I jest can\u2019t figure out for the life of me why that Scott fellow would want to kill your brother.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cFirstly, Roy, Clay is not my brother, he\u2019s Joe\u2019s half brother. \u00a0Secondly,\u201d he paused and swallowed some coffee, then looked thoughtfully at the sheriff, \u201call that bother with different names, different aliases. \u00a0He lived in North Carolina and travelled all this way, twice?\u201d he shook his head, \u201cThe only thing I keep coming up with is that there was money involved. \u00a0Big money.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDavid Carter certainly paid him a handsome sum to get rid of you.\u201d Roy smiled, and copied Adam\u2019s style of sitting, pushing the chair back and stretching out his legs.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMmm, I still can\u2019t figure out why he wanted to get rid of me, except to make it easier to marry Marie.\u201d he lowered his head and stared into his mug, as though the brown liquid would inspire him, \u201cNorth Carolina is a real long way to come just to kill someone. I mean, as bad as it is, but life is cheap hereabouts. \u00a0Men get killed over spilling someone\u2019s beer, or jumping their claim. Why go to the expense of hiring a man to kill another?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cCarter was from New Orleans. \u00a0Perhaps that\u2019s what rich people do down south.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIn which case a rich person, down south, hired him again to get rid of Clay. \u00a0I can think of two scenario\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cGood, run them pass me would you, my brain\u2019s aching from trying to work it out.\u201d Roy pushed his spectacles higher up his forehead, and began to drink his coffee while he prepared himself to listen to Adam\u2019s theories.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThe family of the man killed in Texas for one, and this Buchanan for another. \u00a0My monies on Buchanan\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBecause Clay said he had eyewitnesses to prove the killing in Texas was for self defence. \u00a0But Buchanan got involved somehow, and suddenly the eyewitnesses disappeared or changed their stories. \u00a0 He changed his name hoping to avoid getting within Buchanan\u2019s reach again. \u00a0Somehow or other, Scott managed to work that out and arrived here anyway. \u00a0Yes, I\u2019d certainly say it was Buchanan.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBut he\u2019s the man with most to lose, Adam. \u00a0 A senator, rich, prominent.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s a man who had his son killed. \u00a0Clay said the man had vowed to see him dead.\u201d Adam finished his drink, \u201cHave you heard anything at all from the law department in Raleigh?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNothing at all. \u00a0I\u2019ll send another wire this afternoon. \u00a0Don\u2019t worry, I\u2019ll keep you informed.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAnother thing, Roy, how serious do you think we should take Murphy\u2019s threats against Clay?\u201d \u00a0he looked at the sheriff, respectfully, and decided to refrain from mentioning the accusations Murphy had made about him earlier.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMurphy is mad against everything and everybody just now, Adam. \u00a0 Seems he wants to pick a fight with the world and his wife just now. \u00a0 I\u2019d take it pretty seriously if I were you, Adam. \u00a0Keep Clay out of town, and out of trouble, for Marie\u2019s sake if not for his own.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam nodded, and with a sigh got to his feet,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThanks for the coffee, Roy.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Roy nodded, smiled and waved his young friend good-bye. \u00a0 He finished his drink in a leisurely manner before he righted the chair, drew it up to the desk, and began to write out the message he was going to send to the law department in Raleigh.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 111<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The knock on the door came just as Adam was about to disrobe and get into bed. \u00a0He paused, frowned, and then walked to the door knowing only too well who it was he would find standing on the other side. He was not wrong. \u00a0Years of hearing that tentative knock on the door followed by Joe\u2019s puppy dog eyes had trained him well. \u00a0Joe was there, a lamp in his hand, and puppy dog eyes at the ready.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cCan I come in, Adam?\u201d he asked, looking plaintively at his brother.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam stepped aside and swept his arm wide, a theatrical gesture to mark the occasion and to sweep his brother into the room, metaphorically speaking of course.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAdam I\u2019m sorry I lost my temper this afternoon, and hit you like I did.\u201d Joe blinked, and looked down at the floor, then up at his brother, \u201cI didn\u2019t hurt you, did I?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam frowned more deeply, and shook his head. Then he sat down on the edge of the bed and waited for the explanation. \u00a0There was always an explanation with Joe. \u00a0Long and drawn out. \u00a0Adam wondered whether it had something to do with Marie\u2019s upbringing as a Catholic and all that confession they had to do, perhaps it had passed on to Joe in some way.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He sat and listened as Joe explained why he had lost his temper, his feelings for Clay, his confusion about Clay\u2019s behaviour. \u00a0He listened as he had listened over the years.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAdam, I gotta \u2018fess up. \u00a0It was me, not Hoss, who put salt in your coffee becoz I thought you wuz kinda unfair.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHow was that, Joe? How was I unfair?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou said I had to write my own essay and wouldn\u2019t help.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s right, Joe. \u00a0Now why do you think I did that?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBecause you wuzn\u2019t bein\u2019 fair.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u2026.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Adam, I wanted you to know that, I\u2019m really sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat about this time, Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, you know you said I couldn\u2019t go to the box social yesterday, and I did\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSo you did.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, I know you said I couldn\u2019t go because I was too young, but Susy invited me special like and I didn\u2019t want to disappoint her.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAnd when did she invite you, Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAfter church on Sunday.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d already told you that you couldn\u2019t go.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI know, Adam, and I\u2019m sorry that I didn\u2019t do as you said, but when Susy invited \u00a0me I kinda thought it would be rude not to accept. \u00a0You ain\u2019t mad at me, are you, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u2026<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He switched off memories from the past and turned to look at the earnest young man standing in the middle of the rug, and realised that he had stopped talking and was looking at him earnestly. \u00a0 He frowned, and Joe raised his eyebrows,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSo, you ain\u2019t mad at me, are you, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, I\u2019m not mad at you, Joe. \u00a0Now clear outa here, I need some sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cG\u2019night then, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cGood night, Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The youth smiled his bright \u2018everything\u2019s fine and dandy\u2019 smile, and left the room, and closed it behind him. \u00a0Adam sat for a moment, deep in thought, then, with a sigh he got to his feet and disrobed, then slipped naked into bed.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He thought of Joe, and of Clay. \u00a0He thumped the pillows and snuffed out the wick in the lamp. \u00a0He could smell the acid whiff from the burnt wick, and then it faded. Outside the wind was mournful and he realised he had not drawn the drapes across the window. \u00a0He was too tired to get out of bed now. \u00a0Instead he folded his arms beneath his head and stared up into the shadows of the ceiling.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe and Clay. \u00a0Clay and Joe. \u00a0Marie\u2019s sons. \u00a0 As close in blood as he, Joe and Hoss were through Ben\u2019s parent hood. \u00a0It seemed to him that Joe wanted the same bonds with Clay right here and now, that had grown over the years between the three of them. \u00a0He was young and vulnerable, and Clay, only two years younger than himself, was an experienced man of the world, charming and manipulative. \u00a0 He closed his eyes and wondered what he could do to protect his little brother from getting very hurt indeed.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe closed the door behind him and looked about his room. \u00a0 It was as familiar to him as his face in the mirror. \u00a0Indian artefacts hung on the walls, and on the chimney breast was a portrait of his father. \u00a0He walked up to it and looked earnestly into the dark eyes. \u00a0He often liked to do that, because one of the abiding memories he had of Ben were those dark eyes and the deep voice that could make his body vibrate when Ben held him and told him stories. \u00a0He had loved that, and nestled in close to his Pa, his head on Ben\u2019s shoulder, listening.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPa? I wish you were still home. \u00a0I wish you were here to meet Clay. I know you would be real pleased to know him, and you\u2019d tell him to stay here with us, and be part of the family. \u00a0I know he\u2019d listen to you, Pa, because everyone listened to you when you told them to do anything. \u00a0I miss you, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He put the lamp down beside his bed, and slipped between the sheets. \u00a0Then he extinguished the flame and tried to get comfortable. \u00a0He shouldn\u2019t have hit Adam. \u00a0Even now he couldn\u2019t really understand why he had, nor why he had felt so defensive about Clay. \u00a0 What would happen to Adam if Clay and he did go to New Orleans or even some other place, together.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He frowned, he had forgotten to ask Clay whether or not he had mentioned going back to New Orleans to Marie. \u00a0 He felt his eyelids growing heavier. \u00a0It would be fun going away from here with Clay. Clay was fun. \u00a0He took chances and risks. \u00a0He was unfettered by responsibilities and obligations. The Ponderosa was one big responsibility. \u00a0 He wondered what it was like to live the way Clay was able to , just roaming, free to go wherever he wished. \u00a0He was glad he had suggested going to New Orleans with him, and more than pleased that Clay had seemed not just surprised but even pleased and flattered by the suggestion.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Now he was about to drift off to sleep. \u00a0He felt his body growing heavier, and the darkness enveloping him like a blanket.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSee this, son, it will be yours one day,\u201d Ben said, and the child sitting in the saddle in front of him, with his head against his chest nodded. \u00a0Below him the waters of the lake shimmered beneath a perfect sun and the sky was so blue with hardly a cloud in it. It was a beautiful scene. \u00a0One that he had never forgotten. \u00a0He could recall his fathers voice coming from deep within the cavern of the man\u2019s broad chest, and he could remember the way his own hair stirred beneath Ben\u2019s breath. \u00a0How safe he had felt then, how secure and how loved.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In his sleep now he stirred, smiled, his lips parted as he whispered \u201cPa?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 112<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The wagon rattled out of the yard, the wheels slipping into ruts and making the vehicle bounce along. \u00a0Hop Sing was not concerned. He was happy at heart. The sun was shining and although it was cold it was also bright and cheerful. \u00a0He was going away for several days to visit his cousin in town. \u00a0His cousin owned the best laundry in Virginia City so Hop Sing was taking along the Ponderosa bed linen, towels – everything that really needed a good wash and airing before the winter really set in. \u00a0 He was so cheerful he began to sing beneath his breath. \u00a0His cousin also had a pretty daughter who always made a great deal of fuss over their visitor from the Ponderosa. \u00a0It was going to be a most enjoyable visit.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Clay leaned against the window frame and watched as the wagon disappeared from sight. He had his arms folded across his chest, and a dreamy expression on his face. \u00a0Hoss looked at him thoughtfully for a moment and wondered what it was Clay was thinking about so deeply.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPenny for your thoughts, Clay?\u201d he asked, prompting Adam and Joe to look up and survey the other man, who now moved away from the window with a sigh.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh, I was just watching Hop Sing going off into town, and wishing I could have gone on in with him.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou can come on in with us if – oh,\u201d Joe stopped abruptly, and looked at his mother who was giving him a rather sterner look than usual, \u201cI\u2019d forgotten. \u00a0Sorry, Clay.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNot to worry,\u201d Clay smiled with great fortitude at them all, \u201cNo doubt it will soon get sorted out, and Roy will eventually allow me to go into town again. \u00a0In the meantime it does no harm to stay home and convalesce properly.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWill you be feeling well enough to come to the Box Social at the Lazy C to night, Clay?\u201d Hoss smiled, \u201cI know there are a lot of our neighbours still wanting to get to know you.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, thanks anyway. \u00a0I\u2019ve not been personally invited and would not feel it proper to arrive per se.\u201d \u00a0he looked at Joe, \u201cWill you be going?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSure, we all will. The Lazy C has the best Box Socials in the territory.\u201d Joe said enthusiastically, \u201cI sure wish you could come, Clay. \u00a0What if I ride over there this morning and ask them if it will be all right for you to come as well.\u201d he smiled at the thought of doing this errand for his brother, and of his riding in with them all that evening.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, it\u2019s fine.\u201d Clay sat down at the table, \u201cAnd you, Ma? Are you going?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes, I always go. \u00a0Sandy is a good friend of mine, and we always enjoy these opportunities to get together. \u00a0Joe\u2019s right, though, Clay, he could ride over and ask if you could attend. \u00a0The Nicholls are always very welcoming.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, it\u2019s alright. \u00a0I\u2019d rather stay at home. \u00a0If it\u2019s all the same to you, I\u2019ll ask Hank Myers in for a chat, if I get bored.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sure you won\u2019t -\u201d Adam muttered, stirring sugar into his coffee.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWon\u2019t what? \u00a0Ask Hank in for the evening?\u201d Clay asked, rather sharply.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cGet bored, I meant.\u201d Adam turned on a charming smile, and then picked up his cup, his eyes turning to Joe, \u201cWhat are you intending on doing this morning, Joe? \u00a0Hoss and I sure could do with some help up at the creek. \u00a0There\u2019s loose wood gathering there that we could use here. \u00a0If we leave it as it is, come the bad winds it\u2019ll blow into the river and could create a build up there as effective as a dam. \u00a0 I wouldn\u2019t like to be responsible for the damage that would cause thereabouts.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSure, I\u2019ll come along and give a hand. \u00a0How about it, Clay? \u00a0Do you feel like joining us?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Clay shook his head, and poured coffee into his cup while smiling over at his brother,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cA case of the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak, brother.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He ignored the glance that passed between Adam and Hoss. \u00a0If Joe noticed he had the sense to refrain from making any mention of it. \u00a0 He sighed and muttered that that was too bad, and then settled down to his breakfast. \u00a0He ate slowly, every now and again he would glance up and over at Clay, who seemed oblivious of the interest his brother was showing in him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Marie remained silent. \u00a0She had, over the weeks, had so many opportunities to compare the boys with Clay. \u00a0This stranger with the bond of blood between them, and whom she loved but did not know. \u00a0 How different he was from Adam who had always pushed himself to get on with work despite illness, wounds, weakness. \u00a0How different from Joe who even though they shared a volatile temper was a hardworking and honest youth. \u00a0Marie had a nagging doubt about her first born\u2019s attitude to honesty. \u00a0This made her think of Hoss who was the epitome of honesty and loyalty. \u00a0It seemed to her that Clay would be loyal only to the degree it suited him, because ultimately, his main concern was himself.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She did not blame him for that, for she knew that anyone living on their own and by their wits, had only themselves to be responsible for, and the longer the life style lasted , the more deeply entrenched the attitude becomes. \u00a0 She sighed, and found herself wishing that things could be reversed, time could travel backwards, and that Clay, the stupid bungling attempt to kill him, everything concerning him, had never happened.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The house became silent when the three brothers left the house. \u00a0Marie went to the small room where she carried out her own personal tasks, such as needlework, darning or writing letters. \u00a0 She liked to withdraw into this private room at times. \u00a0It contained most of the little possessions she had brought with her from New Orleans. \u00a0 The views from the window were of the garden that she enjoyed working in during the spring and summer months.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Sometimes she just liked to sit in the sun and read. \u00a0There was little work to do just now, and she was tired. \u00a0It had been an anxious time for them all, but as a mother her heart had been stretched to the full limit as she had first worried and fretted over Adam, and then the excitement of Clay\u2019s arrival, and near death. \u00a0 It just seemed to her that Clay brought along with him so many extra problems. \u00a0 Being her son, his problems were also hers, and she wondered how many other things there were for her to worry about of which she knew nothing.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMa?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She glanced up and smiled as Clay stood at the doorway, looking in upon her. \u00a0She beckoned to a chair by the window, and he came and sat upon it with a slight smile on his face,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong, Clay?\u201d she asked, putting down her pen, for her intention today had been to write to an old friend in New Orleans.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNothing at all, Ma. \u00a0I\u2019m feeling much stronger now, although I\u2019m sorry I couldn\u2019t get out to help the boys.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sure you know best how you feel, dear.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI was wondering, Ma, if you had thought any more about going back to New Orleans with me. \u00a0I\u2019d sure like it, Ma. \u00a0You and Joe and me. \u00a0We would have a lot of time together, getting to know one another better and catching up on old friends.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI told you before, Clay, I have dear friends here now.\u201d she smiled slowly, and sighed, \u201cI don\u2019t think I want Joe to go with you, Clay. \u00a0I\u2019d rather he stayed here, at the Ponderosa.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhy? \u00a0 He should get to know where he comes from, Ma.\u201d he frowned, and leaned forwards, his hands clasped together between his knees, \u201cLook, Ma, you know there\u2019s talk about a civil war, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She frowned, and lowered her eyes. \u00a0Then she gave a slight shrug of the shoulders,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIts just talk, Clay.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI know. \u00a0But friends of the de Maligneys keep in touch with me, you know. \u00a0They feel that there\u2019s a lot of unrest down south. \u00a0 It just needs a match to set the fuse burning and the whole thing will blow up like a powder keg.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAll the more reason for Joe to stay here with us, then.\u201d she shook her head determinedly. \u00a0\u201cThere will be no talk about civil war here, on the Ponderosa. \u00a0Should it happen, it will stop at the borders.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIf it happens, Ma, you won\u2019t be able to stop it from coming right here. \u00a0It\u2019ll tear your family apart as much as anyone else\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhy? \u00a0How?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He looked at her challengingly, and then remembered that this was his mother, his flesh and blood. \u00a0She was New Orleans born, and seemed to be willingly turning her back upon the fact.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou belong to the South, Ma. \u00a0So does Joe.\u201d he replied very gently, and reached out to take her hand, \u201cJoe has every right to get to know his origins, Ma. \u00a0You should take him back.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She tightened her lips into what Ben would call her battening down the hatches mode. \u00a0Clay frowned, and began to chew on his bottom lip. \u00a0He sat back, resting upon the cushions on the chair,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAdam\u2019s Boston born, isn\u2019t he?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d she looked at him and sighed, \u201cThe Stoddards were sea faring people. \u00a0His grandfather, Abel Stoddard, was the last one of them to captain a ship. Elizabeth was very young when she married Ben. \u00a0Frail too, which was the reason he left the sea himself and set \u00a0up as a Ships Chandler.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIn Boston.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes. \u00a0 Ben had been at sea since he was 14 years of age. \u00a0He ran away once, at the age of 12, but thankfully the captain sent him back home.\u201d she looked at him, and a slight frown furrowed her brow, \u201cWhy do you ask? \u00a0Is it to confirm your thoughts on the fact that Adam is a Yankee?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, the thought had crossed my mind. \u00a0That was why I said you won\u2019t be able to draw a line and say the war stops here, on that side of the border. \u00a0Not when you have a Yankee and a southern born boy in the house.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cClay, I don\u2019t want to continue this conversation with you. \u00a0I don\u2019t want to hear that it has been mentioned to Joe, either. \u00a0Do you understand me?\u201d she looked at her son with such a stern look that Clay faltered, and nodded in agreement.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He stroked his moustache thoughtfully. \u00a0It was true, all that he had said. \u00a0There was talk of war, but it was just talk. \u00a0 If there was to be a Civil War however, it would mean brother fighting brother. \u00a0He looked at her again, and frowned. \u00a0Joe should know where he was from, after all, the last thing Clay de Maligney wanted in life, was to find himself fighting against his own, newly found, flesh and blood.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat time will you be back tonight, Ma?\u201d he asked casually, when the sternness had appeared to have seeped out of her.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe usually stay overnight at the Nicholls.\u201d she replied, picking up her pen again, and arranging the ink pot neatly by her right hand, \u201cIt\u2019s a happy, noisy, somewhat rowdy evening, and we like to help out in the morning. \u00a0It\u2019s best to stay over too, as the drink tends to flow a little too freely.\u201d and she smiled at the memory of past Box Socials at the Nicholls.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHuh, seems I\u2019ll be in for a long and lonely night then.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou could still come, Clay. \u00a0They would love to meet you. \u00a0Susanne, their daughter, is a dear girl, you\u2019d like her.\u201d she smiled again.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh,\u201d he laughed, a happy relaxed merry laugh, it reminded her of Jean so much that she laughed too, \u201cMatch making are we, dear mother?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAs if I would,\u201d she laughed, \u201cBut Suzanne is a sweetheart, Clay, really she is.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Clay only laughed again, shook his head and after making his excuses to leave the room, left his mother to her writing.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 113 \u201cYes, Joe, I\u2019m fine. A little tired, perhaps.\u201d Marie smiled at him, and leaned towards him, enjoying the feel of his shoulder. He was growing into a man and it had happened so quickly.<\/p>\n \u201cYou aren\u2019t worried about anything, are you, Ma?\u201d he asked in a quieter tone of voice, not wanting either Adam or Hoss, who were riding alongside them, to overhear their conversation.<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d she whispered back, but stared straight ahead of her, looking at the road as it stretched ahead of them.<\/p>\n She could have said she was worried about what Clay would be doing with so many hours to spend on his own. Would he indulge in the same kind of evening that he had previously, despite the stern talking to she had given him. What if he disobeyed her and went ahead anyway? What could she do about it? She had managed to persuade Adam not to get involved last time, but what would be his reaction this time!<\/p>\n She tried to convince herself that there would be nothing wrong and that Clay would not go against her wishes. But then her mind reeled back the years to when his father had been caught up with the gambling and drink. It was having the baby that had stopped him, the love and the responsibility had hit Jean like a brick wall stopping him before he had stepped over the edge of the chasm to disaster.<\/p>\n Perhaps it would have helped if she knew who the other men were who had been involved in the evenings activity and then she could have asked them not to visit the Ponderosa again. But could she have done that? It would have humiliated Clay and wounded his pride. A woman had no right to do that to a man, any man. She had asked Hank Myers to keep a look out and to let her know if any visitors came to the Ponderosa. He had always been a reliable man, and she felt she could trust him.<\/p>\n It was so inconvenient that Hop Sing had chosen to leave for his few days with his cousin. She sighed again as her mind caught up with the present and she remembered the conversation she had had with Clay. Once again she turned her gaze to look upon Joe, who, sensing her looking at him turned to smile at her,<\/p>\n \u201cYou are all right, aren\u2019t you, Ma?\u201d he asked again, \u201cI can always turn back home if you\u2019d prefer.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, no, that would be a waste of the food Hop Sing has prepared for Sandy and Malc. I\u2019m just a little concerned about something Clay said today.\u201d<\/p>\n She noticed the tension that came immediately to his features, the jaw line tautened, and his eyes narrowed.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat did he say?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe said there was talk about Civil War. South against the North. Do you think it will come to that, Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019d best ask Adam, he\u2019d know better than me, Ma.\u201d he smiled slowly, \u201cIs that all that\u2019s worrying you? It\u2019s hardly likely to happen. Do you really think free born Americans will actually kill one another? I don\u2019t think so, Ma.\u201d he continued to smile for a while, then looked down at her again, \u201cMa, it wouldn\u2019t affect us on the Ponderosa, anyway. Pa would have hated us getting involved in a thing like that. He\u2019d never believe that it would come down to brother against brother, and he would certainly not expect any of us to turn one against the other. Now, would he?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d Marie replied firmly, \u201cNo, he wouldn\u2019t. But, Joe, your father isn\u2019t here anymore. What if there were a civil war. It would mean that you and Adam -.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t spoil the evening thinking about something that won\u2019t happen, Ma.\u201d his voice was firmer, a man\u2019s voice, not the jovial cheery voice of a teenager wanting to prove himself a man. Once again Marie realised that Joe was changing, undergoing that metamorphosis of manhood. She slipped her arm through his, and thought back to the time when, as a child, he would have slipped his arm through hers and for good measure, grabbed her hand.<\/p>\n \u201cJoe, Clay said you wanted to go back to New Orleans, to see where you had your origins. Is that true?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs that what is really worrying you, Ma?\u201d Joe said quietly, and a slight frown furrowed his brow, \u201cWell, I was born on the Ponderosa, so my roots are here, aren\u2019t they? If you would like to go back south with us both, then that would be good. Wouldn\u2019t you like that, Ma? To go back to New Orleans?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo. I wouldn\u2019t like to go back, not now, not after all I found out about Remy, and Clay\u2019s grandmother.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut they\u2019re dead now, Ma.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Joe, I know. But the dead can haunt the living, and I don\u2019t want to go back.\u201d<\/p>\n He nodded as though he could understand exactly how she felt. He liked the feel of her head on his shoulder, it made him feel responsible and manly. Protective of his Ma. It was a good thing to be.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026. Hank Myers closed the door behind him and looked around anxiously, he scratched his chest and then his head, and was about to go back to the bunk house when Clay\u2019s door opened.<\/p>\n \u201cShucks, Mr Stafford, I was wondering whether or not you were cancelling tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCancelling?\u201d Clay laughed, \u201cWhy on earth would I do that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOn account of what the Missus said, that\u2019s why. She\u2019s worried about you having another one of them get togethers here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I\u2019m not, am I?\u201d Clay frowned, \u201cDid she talk to you about it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, sir, she did. I promised to keep an eye on you and make sure you were going to be all right.\u201d Hank looked around him and frowned, \u201cYou ain\u2019t got nothing\u2019 organised here that I can see.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTrue enough. After my scolding the other day I decided it was too risky to have another evening\u2019s entertainment here, so I\u2019m going out for the evening. I won\u2019t tell you where so when my mother asks, you won\u2019t know. What you don\u2019t know, won\u2019t hurt you, as my grandmother often told me. Not necessarily true, but sufficiently so in this case.\u201d<\/p>\n Hank frowned, not sure whether to feel relieved of the responsibility, or aggrieved at not being included in the game. He then remembered just how much money he had lost to Clay and realised he was better off not knowing anything about the evening plans.<\/p>\n Clay was dressed smartly. Grey suit, white frilled shirt, black string tie. He pulled on his heavy coat and placed his hat upon his head. He wore his gunbelt low on his hips. He turned to Hank and smiled,<\/p>\n \u201cGoodnight, Hank. Enjoy the evening.\u201d<\/p>\n Chapter 114<\/p>\n Clay entered the room and looked around him. He shrugged himself out of his coat and tossed it onto the rather dilapidated settee.<\/p>\n Amos Hayter\u2019s house was a mere five miles from the borders of town. Closer to shanty town than anywhere else. The room Clay had stepped into was already heavy with the smoke from several cigars, and the glasses were greasy from the fingers that had handled them over the past few days, or perhaps even weeks.<\/p>\n Hayter glanced up at Clay and nodded a welcome. He was, oddly enough, impeccably dressed, clean and well turned out. He left the gaming table and approached Clay, and shook his hand,<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m glad you were able to come, Clay.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI wouldn\u2019t have missed out on this, Amos.\u201d Clay smiled, and accepted the glass of bourbon from his host and then sat down at the table.<\/p>\n He knew all five of the men seated there, having played against them all at some time or another. One of the men was a stranger to Virginia City but not to Clay. They had formed an acquaintance some time back in Sacremento. Robin Jackson nodded a greeting to his old friend, and continued to play his hand.<\/p>\n Clay drank the bourbon, and refilled his glass. He took his turn to shuffle and deal the cards, and played a reasonable hand. After an hour had passed he had become comfortable with the players there, had assessed them all, and knew how to play against them all to win. Perhaps, as Marie feared, it was all in the genes after all. Generations of de Marigneys had passed onto him the ability to weigh up an opponents weakness with such unerring accuracy that he seldom lost. Perhaps it was just shrewd discernment, a sharp memory, mathematical acumen, but combined it gave Clay Stafford de Marigney the gift of a born gambler. Something Marie would never understand.<\/p>\n He noticed that Robin had sharpened up his game. That was to his advantage, but it did not take long for Clay to denote his weakness and to use it to his own advantage. Amos was overly casual, and played as though he didn\u2019t really care if he won or lost, he was sloppy, nearly everyone there could beat him at the game although occasionally there was a flash of brilliance and he would win a hand.<\/p>\n Hansard tried too hard to keep a blank face and reveal nothing. When a man tried too hard he always overplayed his hand. No matter how much he tried the better the hand the more tension around the eyes. Clay could read the poor man like an open book.<\/p>\n Phillips was nervy. He sweated a lot and his eyes swivelled about as though they were attached to little wires in his skull. He lost repeatedly and was no challenge to anyone there.<\/p>\n Gregory Shannon was a pleasant Irishman who liked to drink, talk and smoke all at the same time. He played a loose hand, careless in his handling of them. But when he had a good hand he was suddenly quiet, concentrating overly hard to make sure he made all the right moves. He would make some quite sensible ones, but was easy pickings for someone so expert at the game as Clay.<\/p>\n The air became stiflingly stuffy and hot. The cigar smoke thickened what air there was, and collars were loosened, along with ties. Another bottle of bourbon was opened. The pot in the middle of the table grew in heaps. Amos did well, winning a number of games, but it was small stuff only, what real gamblers would consider mere pocket money.<\/p>\n Hansard was the first to throw in his hand and declare himself out of the running. He reeled to the door and opened it to get enough fresh air to his lungs. An hour later Shannon was out cold, slouched across the settee and drooling over the cushions.<\/p>\n Clay enjoyed the whole atmosphere. The clink of the money as it went down, the flutter of notes. The tension amongst the remaining players. The way the eyes narrowed, lips thinned, talk lessened. \u201cClay, I got to hand it to you, old friend, you did yourself proud there,\u201d Robin smiled, reaching out to shake his hand.<\/p>\n \u201cYou didn\u2019t do so badly yourself, Robin. How\u2019s things with you anyhow?\u201d Clay asked, stuffing the money into every pocket he possessed.<\/p>\n \u201cPretty good. What are you doing here, in Virginia City?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, nothing much. Just passing through.\u201d Clay replied, picking up his near empty glass and draining it dry.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s related to them Cartwrights on the Ponderosa,\u201d Amos said, nodding over at Clay with a grin, perhaps not a very pleasant one, which made Clay narrow his eyes and look anew at the man who had appeared so affable previously.<\/p>\n \u201cYou got a problem with that?\u201d he asked, putting the glass down.<\/p>\n \u201cNone at all, Clay.\u201d Amos replied.<\/p>\n Clay nodded as though to confirm that was a close to the subject, but when he went to get his coat and hat, he found Robin standing right by his side,<\/p>\n \u201cCartwrights, huh? How did that happen?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMrs Cartwright happens to be my mother,\u201d Clay said quietly, \u201cShe was married before she met Ben.\u201d he added hastily.<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s a fine looking woman,\u201d Robin said with a nod of the head.<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s a fine looking very rich woman,\u201d Hansard observed, \u201cAnd mighty proud of her sons.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe has every reason to be,\u201d Amos said, pouring himself a brandy now, and sprawling down into a chair.<\/p>\n He watched as Clay pulled on his coat, and raised his glass to the young man as he pulled open the door. The cold air blew into the room with the sharpness of a scythe, before Clay pulled it shut behind him. He pushed the door open and closed it softly behind him. Just possibly whoever had returned early had fallen asleep, in which case Clay certainly did not want to waken him.<\/p>\n \u201cGood evening, Clay.\u201d<\/p>\n He jumped, startled, and turned. Took off his hat and squinted against the light in the room that dazzled his eyes. Then he recognised who was sitting in the big leather chair,<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are you doing here,\u201d he asked. \u201cYour mother told me that you would be in need of company this evening,\u201d Matt Fraser replied, stretching out his legs and regarding Clay thoughtfully as he watched the young man divest himself of his coat and jacket. His sharp eyes noticed the bulging pockets and he raised his eyebrows slightly, \u201cBut it seems she was mistaken.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, it seems she must have been.\u201d Clay replied with one of his charming smiled, and he pulled up a chair and slumped down heavily upon it, \u201cThe thing is, Matt, there is only so much molly coddling a man can take, and only so much homely socialising as well. I prefer finding my own entertainment, which, as you obviously noticed, helps me to live in the life style to which I want to remain accustomed.\u201d<\/p>\n He looked about him, then once again looked at Matt who seemed lost for words, and could only regard him rather coldly. Seeing this Clay laughed, he shook his head and laughed as though he found it quite amusing to have come home to find the family friend there.<\/p>\n \u201cHave you been sent here to give me a lecture then, Matt? Or to advise me on the evils of gambling and drink?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d Matt replied firmly, \u201cI\u2019ve no rights to do so, although I could, of course, as a friend of Marie\u2019s presume that I could, if just to spare her any further anxieties. Tell me, Clay, do you intend to stay here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOn the Ponderosa? No, I don\u2019t think so.\u201d Clay looked away and surveyed Ben\u2019s portrait thoughtfully, then frowned slightly, \u201cI don\u2019t really think I\u2019m cut out to be a rancher.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t you think you could give it a try? For your mother\u2019s sake, perhaps?\u201d<\/p>\n Clay turned his eyes to Matt again and saw the kindness in his eyes, and the firmness of his jaw. He could see there was a lot of strength there in the man, and he wondered if his mother could see that as well, or was this something else about which she was blind?<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d he replied after some time had elapsed where both men had sat looking at the other, \u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d he repeated, and bowed his head, \u201cYou see, I\u2019ve always been a rebel. I resented the secrecy that hung over me like a cloud throughout my childhood, and caused my Grandmother no end of trouble as a result. I detested the lies that she told me, about my mother particularly. But despite it all, she was always generous to me, always provided well for me. Perhaps it was because of her own guilt, but it meant that no matter what happened, I never lacked for anything. Then when she died, I was on my own. But I managed very well because of – well, my talents I suppose you could call it -\u201d he paused and bowed his head. The drink was beginning to make his head spin, and the warmth of the room, and the fire, after the cold ride home, was making him feel very tired.<\/p>\n \u201cGo on,\u201d Matt prompted.<\/p>\n \u201cTrouble seems to follow me around somehow, I don\u2019t know why, but it does. I don\u2019t want to bring trouble here, to the Ponderosa. I don\u2019t want to cause my mother, or Joe, any trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen why not give it a try, Clay. Stop the gambling, and just try to be the son she has wanted you to be,\u201d Matt suggested softly. \u201cLike Joe, do you mean? I\u2019m not Joe, Mr Fraser. I don\u2019t intend to change and become someone else.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat isn\u2019t what I meant, Clay.\u201d Matt replied patiently, and leaned back against the chair rest, his elbow on the leather arm, \u201cMarie loves you so much, Clay, all she wants is your happiness, and safety. You are a young man, yet you are already wanted for the deaths of two men. Alright, they were killed in self defence, but your life style, and, as you say, your ability to find trouble, could lead you into far worse situations, and to more deaths, until, finally you either get arrested and hanged, or shot.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s a rather bleak future you\u2019ve painted for me, Mr Fraser.\u201d Clay smiled, and half closed his eyes. Oh, he was so tired. How he wished the silly fool would leave and let him get to bed. He yawned, and stood up, \u201cI\u2019m really very tired, Sir. I need to get some sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course.\u201d Matt stood up as well. For a moment the two men faced one another, before Clay stepped aside to let Matt pass him by, \u201cThink about what I have said, Clay. I meant it for your good.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sure you did, Sir, and I appreciate it,\u201d Clay replied with his unfailing good manners, and he smiled again, \u201cI shall bear it in mind, believe me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cVery well.\u201d Matt sighed, and reached for his hat and then his coat, \u201cTake care, Clay.\u201d<\/p>\n Clay said nothing, but watched the door open and close. He swayed on his feet and put his hand to his head. He really needed to get up the stairs to bed.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n In the morning the sound of rain against the window panes were like drumsticks beating a tattoo on several drums inside Clay\u2019s head. He kept his eyes closed tightly as he tried to think of what had happened the previous evening. Had he imagined it or had Matt Fraser really been in the house when he had returned from Amos\u2019? His mouth felt as dry as the Nevada desert, and his arms and legs were as heavy as lead. He tried to remember what they had talked about, but could only recall snatches of the conversation. He came to the conclusion that his mother had asked Matt to beg him to stay and become a cowboy. The thought made him shudder.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n It always amused the three Cartwright boys that Marie insisted on staying at the Nicholls rambling ranch house when they had their annual box social. It gave them some freedom to drink a little more knowing that they would fall into a comfortable bed and not out of the saddle into a cactus or shrub or even worse. But it was something that Adam told his brothers was what mother\u2019s did best and that was to worry over their offspring.<\/p>\n For Joe it was a particular irritation this time, knowing that Clay was at home on his own. He had enjoyed the dancing, drinking, eating aspect of the social, and there were some pretty girls that provided him with some flirting, kissing and cuddling besides, but there were times during the evening that he would think of Clay and wonder why his brother had not wanted to share time with him.<\/p>\n In bed, listening to the sound of his brothers snoring, he stayed awake with the problem of Clay going over and over in his head. He wasn\u2019t stupid, not a green kid that didn\u2019t notice things that went on around him. He was not oblivious of the fact that in some particular aspects of his life, Clay was on a completely different track to them. But was that so bad?<\/p>\n While his brothers remained sleeping and there was silence throughout the house, Joe slipped out of his makeshift bed, and hurriedly pulled on his clothes. Creeping downstairs he made his way to the stable, saddled Cochise and walked him out of the yard. Once out of earshot of the house, he urged Cochise into a gallop towards home, towards the Ponderosa.<\/p>\n Chapter 116<\/p>\n The door was unlatched. This did not particularly alarm Joe for those in close proximity to the Ponderosa were trusted enough to walk in and make themselves comfortable. Marie always latched and locked the door at night for fear of the strangers who could come and create problems. Experience is a sound tutor. During the years they had had some rough times due to carelessly leaving the door unlatched.<\/p>\n It was early morning now and the rain had soaked through his clothes, he was also tired and irritable. He threw his hat onto the credenza, and peeled off his jacket which he flung down beside the hat. He paused then and looked around the room,<\/p>\n \u201cClay? You there?\u201d<\/p>\n The fire was dead, cold grey ashes were beneath the blackened remains of logs that had burned themselves out during the night. Two oil lamps had blackened the funnels by smoking because the wicks had dried out of oil. Two others still burned and these he blew out.<\/p>\n He picked up Clay\u2019s jacket and was about to put it over the back of a chair when the weight from whatever was in the pockets made him look twice at the garment. He glanced around, up the stairs, but there was no sound. He put his hand in one pocket and drew out wads of dollar notes. He stared at them as though not seeing them for what they were, then he realised that he held a lot of money in his hand and it had to come from somewhere!<\/p>\n \u201cClay?\u201d<\/p>\n He tossed the jacket down, and mounted the stairs two at a time. Then he pushed open the door to Clay\u2019s room and stopped in his tracks.<\/p>\n Clay was sprawled across the bed, his arms and legs at angles with his body, and snoring more loudly than Hoss and Adam combined. Joe stared at him in dismay and approached the bed with caution. He leaned down and then stepped back in surprise. There was no doubt about the smell. Clay must have drunk a skinful for the smell to have stayed so strongly on his breath.<\/p>\n So that was why he hadn\u2019t come to the social. Not because he had not been personally invited but because he preferred to do his socialising elsewhere. Joe stood by the side of the bed and stared down at his brother and realised that he should not have been surprised, not really. This was what Clay was all about, gambling and drinking, and probably more besides. Joe swallowed the lump in his throat and turned to leave,<\/p>\n \u201cHey, Joe -,\u201d Clay\u2019s voice was thick from the effects of too much drink and too heavy a sleep. The rain had woken him from a fitful slumber, but after a little while he had fallen into a deeper sleep from which only now he had aroused.<\/p>\n \u201cClay.\u201d Joe turned and acknowledged his brother\u2019s greeting.<\/p>\n \u201cHow\u2019d you get on with the social, Joe?\u201d Clay struggled to sit up, rubbed his face and head, and coughed. \u201cBoy ,I could use some coffee. Do you make coffee, Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure I do.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow about a brew then, huh? Make it good and strong.\u201d he swung his legs over the side of the bed, and stretched, \u201cI\u2019ll join you downstairs in a minute. How long have you been here for anyhow? You along?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI only just got here,\u201d Joe said quietly, \u201cThe others are still at the Nicholls\u201d he turned and was about to leave the room when he paused and half turned, \u201cHow did your evening go, Clay? Did you have any visitors?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d Clay said innocently, \u201cOh, except for one, Matt Fraser called in to visit.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMatt Fraser?\u201d Joe frowned, why would Matt call, and where then did all that money come from? \u201cWhat did he want?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust to chat.\u201d Clay smiled, \u201cYou\u2019re getting like Ma, asking questions all the time.\u201d he rubbed his chin, \u201cHurry with the coffee, Joe, my head feels like it\u2019s about to split open.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo, did you go out last night?\u201d Joe asked, but he only received a toss of the head as though the question had fallen on deaf ears, so, defeated, he left the room and went downstairs. \u201cI had a good night last night, Joe.\u201d he said quietly, \u201cThere was a big game on south of town, and I won a bundle.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWas that why you wouldn\u2019t come with us?\u201d Joe asked, handing him a plate of food, which Clay accepted, with a smile.<\/p>\n \u201cI hope I didn\u2019t disappoint anyone, but box socials doesn\u2019t compare to the kind of entertainment I prefer. This is good, Joe, thanks.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe said nothing. He only ate his own food in silence, not at the big table in the dining room and in companionable comfort, but standing up, balancing the plate in one hand, as though they were just passing through, like strangers.<\/p>\n \u201cYou would have enjoyed it had you bothered to come too,\u201d Joe said quietly, \u201cIt wasn\u2019t that bad.\u201d<\/p>\n Clay smiled and put down the now empty plate. He had not realised how hungry he had been, and now he refilled his cup, and washed the food down with the strong coffee.<\/p>\n \u201cJoe, I\u2019ve talked to Ma about leaving here, going to New Orleans. I asked her if she would come with us, but she said no.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDid she?\u201d Joe frowned, \u201cThis is her home, Clay. I don\u2019t think she feels that New Orleans has anything to offer her now. She\u2019d not want to leave here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI was wondering though, what with the problems back there with Buchanan, and all this talk of Civil War whether we would be better off going to Mexico. Have you ever been to Mexico, Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d Joe replied honestly. \u201cHave you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I got into trouble with that guy I was accused of shooting in Texas, I crossed over to Mexico for a few months. It\u2019s not so bad, Joe. Lovely girls, good food and drink.\u201d he smiled, \u201cYou\u2019d like it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d prefer to see New Orleans again.\u201d Joe said slowly, pushing his food around his plate thoughtfully, \u201cWhy would you want to go to Mexico instead of New Orleans?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI already told you – there\u2019s that Buchanan trouble still hanging over my head, and all this talk about Civil War. You don\u2019t want to get tangled up in all that, do you, Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s just talk. It won\u2019t come to anything.\u201d Joe said with no conviction in his voice whatsoever.<\/p>\n \u201cBut if it did? What if you and your brothers were on the opposite sides, huh? You wouldn\u2019t want that, would you?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe shook his head. He put down his plate and looked thoughtfully at Clay,<\/p>\n \u201cYou haven\u2019t done anything stupid here, have you?\u201d he asked<\/p>\n \u201cStupid? How do you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, wherever you were last night, you didn\u2019t happen to shoot anyone did you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy ask me something like that? Joe, what kind of person do you think I am?\u201d Clay looked at his brother in surprise, his handsome face the perfect picture of startled concern.<\/p>\n \u201cI was just wondering, what with all this talk of going to Mexico.\u201d Joe muttered.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, I just won some money, that\u2019s all. It was a good on the level game, and no one there lost anything except their money. I just thought of Mexico because \u2026 well, I have good memories of the place, and we could have such adventures there, Joe. There\u2019s a lot going on there just now, and if you have money, and know how to get more, it\u2019ll be plain sailing all the way.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe frowned and surveyed Clay thoughtfully. He wondered if that was what life for Clay was all about \u2026 being plain sailing with lots of money and pretty girls thrown in. Somehow he doubted it.<\/p>\n Chapter 117<\/p>\n The package arrived at the Scott\u2019s home in Raleigh not long after the Memorial Service had been held for him. Friends of the family had filled the town church to hear laudable things said about a man who had appeared rather taciturn, but generous to all and kindly. No one had a bad word to say about him much to the comfort of his widow and daughters.<\/p>\n Penelope Scott opened the package reverentally as she could tell from the forwarding address that this was the parcel containing her late husband\u2019s final belongings. She sighed at the sight of his suit neatly folded and the first thing to see, and she stroked the jacket fondly. She had loved him with a passion when they had first married, but that passion had dwindled in time. How can a fire keep burning when no one fuels it? Then Buchanan had come along \u2026<\/p>\n She took everything out piece by piece. She could still catch the slight smell of him on the clothing. She wondered why there was no blood on the clothes but was relieved nonetheless to see none. His personal possessions were in a small box. His fob watch, some cuff links and wallet, containing some money, and a key.<\/p>\n She looked at the key thoughtfully having never seen it before. Where, she wondered, would this fit considering all the key holes there were in the house. Then she remembered his desk. It just seemed so typical of him to have a key to the drawers of his desk. The drawers she had tried opening more than once since his death.<\/p>\n Five minutes later the contents of the drawer were revealed. She sat on the big leather chair staring down at the contents with disbelief and horror. Was this then what their home had been founded on? Was it possible that her husband \u2026? She recoiled at the thought but what was she to do now that she had found this out. All these little cards with names and addresses, and facts. Horrible facts. She took some of the cards out of the little boxes in which they were stored and read them. It was too obvious to ignore. Her husband was a blackmailer.<\/p>\n There was the name, the address, details of the assignment, details of payment. Bad enough to be sure, but then there were the dates of other payments. She felt frozen to the spot, her legs were like jelly, and her heart thudded so loudly that it seemed the whole room was pounding all around her.<\/p>\n She put her hand over her eyes and wept. Sobbed. Murderer. Blackmailer. What else was she to find out about this man she had loved and married. The father of her children was guilty of heinous crimes. Her home was built on a fabric of lies, and murder and the misery of others.<\/p>\n She looked down at the cards in her hands once more. If her husband were the one who fired the gun, the true murderers were surely those who had paid him to use it. Surely she should go to the police then and tell them everything. Was she not guilty now of complicity in crime?<\/p>\n She would have to talk the matter over with Buchanan. He would know what to do surely? He would give her the best advice. But what about her girls? Who would want to marry the daughters of a murderer.<\/p>\n She sat for so long in the study that one of the maids was sent to ensure that she was still alive. She found her mistress sitting by the masters old desk reading through papers. The servants all agreed that the mistress was dealing with things very well. No one liked serving hysterical women. The butler took her in a tray of coffee with the little cookies she enjoyed with them. Penelope didn\u2019t even thank him, which was unusual. He went down to report that the mistress may not be coping quite as well as they had initially thought.<\/p>\n With her own hands Penelope built up the fire in the study, and then carefully threw, one by one, the cards, the bank statements and letters relative to each case, into the flames. She watched them burn with quiet contentment. She could imagine the relief of those who would never receive another menacing letter demanding payment for their crime. Judgement would come from God, not from her. More important now than anything else was the protection of her children from the misery such revelations would bring to them.<\/p>\n She kept only one card safely concealed in her purse. Throughout the two days she was tormented about her actions now. Had she been right in destroying the evidence of her husband\u2019s dealings, evidence that also proved some \u2018good\u2019 citizens to be guilty of gross crimes? Everyone fixed, at some time in their lives, their own morality. Penelope was a kind woman, generous in spirit and gentle by nature. She had developed a passion for Buchanan that broke her wedding vows, but she had told herself that it was really quite alright, because she knew so many of her friends who were having an affair. They told her it kept their marriages alive, and giggled over their cups of tea. Penelope had never been too sure about that as a reason for infidelity. An excuse, perhaps, but not a reason.<\/p>\n In the evening of the first day she went to the theatre with Buchanan, and several friends. They had a meal at a fine restaurant afterwards, and laughed and drank wine, and apologised profusely for their lack of tact regarding her widowed state, and laughed some more. It never occurred to them that in some small corner of her heart she grieved for him.<\/p>\n She had pleaded a headache and feeling \u2018liverish\u2019 when they returned home, so Buchanan did not stay but returned to his own home, slightly irritated. He was worried that now Penelope was a widow, she would start making certain demands upon him that he was not prepared to provide her.<\/p>\n He arrived late in the evening of the second day. The young ladies were all in bed and Penelope was at her desk, finishing the address to an envelope which contained a rather thick letter. When Buchanan burst into the room and flourished the bouquet of roses at her, she could only look at him with some impatience and wonder why he had to be continually bursting through doors and making these grand and rather stupid entrances.<\/p>\n She reached for her purse and stood up, rather grandly, as though she were Queen Victoria herself preparing to discuss state matters with the Prime Minister. Buchanan frowned,<\/p>\n \u201cAre you still feeling unwell, dearest?\u201d he asked, approaching her side, and taking hold of her hand.<\/p>\n \u201cI am feeling rather unwell, Sir. I had surprising news recently, and I think now would be the best time to discuss what should be done about it. You see,\u201d she looked at him sternly, and withdrew her hand from his, \u201cEdmunds possessions returned from Virginia City. Amongst them was a key to his desk. I discovered \u2026\u201d she paused, and then sighed, it was obvious from his face that he feared the worse, although he instantly rallied, that initial reaction had been the one she had dreaded, but it had been there, \u201cI think you know what I discovered, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n He looked at her and then drew himself up straight. He would never have thought little Penelope, so homely and warm, could be so formidable. He shrugged,<\/p>\n \u201cPerhaps you should elucidate further, Penny, as it seems I stand accused of something quite terrible by the look on your face.\u201d he attempted a smile, but his eyes remained cold.<\/p>\n \u201cMurder is terrible.\u201d she replied, \u201cI feel ashamed of myself now, laughing at how you described us as David and Bathsheba. I feel disgusted at getting involved with a man like you. You think because you are a Senator, you can click your fingers and destroy people\u2019s lives without a thought to anything but your own success. Well, I have all the proof I need to let the people know exactly what kind of man you are,\u201d she paused for breath and he stepped forward and gripped her wrist tightly,<\/p>\n \u201cAnd you tell anyone about me, it will mean disclosing what your own husband was up to, won\u2019t it? Are you prepared to tell the world how your husband disposed of other people\u2019s messes, and then sucked them dry afterwards? There\u2019s many a person who was more than happy to learn about his death, I can assure you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t have to, I know every one of them by heart.\u201d she said softly, and sighed, \u201cI know what they did, and why they did it, and why they will be glad Edmund is no longer alive now. That doesn\u2019t matter to me. Perhaps it should, but I\u2019m too tired and too miserable to deal with their problems. We all stand accountable to God in the end, whether you believe it or not.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo? What do you want me to do?\u201d he hissed, expecting her to quail beneath the fury of his temper, but perhaps Penelope was too tired, or too disgusted, for she met his anger with a look of her own that made him realise that she held the ace card, and it was folly on his part to push her too far.<\/p>\n He bowed his head contritely, and stepped back. After a moment of silence had passed he turned to look at her,<\/p>\n \u201cThe man I asked Edmund to get rid of, was the man who killed my son. If we have to bring God into this, wasn\u2019t it he who said an eye for an eye? Life for life? Surely I had a right to avenge my own son?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYour son was a drunken wastrel\u201d she said coldly, \u201cI know for a fact that his death was caused by his own stupidity, and temper. Whoever shot him probably did him a favour because he would have died from something awful eventually.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe was still MY son!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI can sympathise with that to a point. But the young man you wanted shot had done nothing to harm anyone. He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time and had to protect himself. But, it wasn\u2019t just Mr de Marigney, was it? There were others \u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOthers?\u201d he stammered, \u201cYou mean – how -?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEdmund for some reason best know to himself kept a record of everything he was asked to do. You have used him to suit yourself, climb the political ladder, seduce me perhaps.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo. Edmund never knew about us, I swear.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh for heaven\u2019s sake, as if I care anyway,\u201d Penelope shook her head disdainfully, and turned her back on him, \u201cYou used Edmund to get up the ladder, and now he\u2019s dead, and it\u2019s your fault.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t kill Edmund.\u201d Buchanan protested, \u201cThose others – it was Edmund\u2019s suggestion.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t want to know.\u201d she said coldly, \u201cI\u2019ve written to various Editors of newspapers throughout the Southern states. By tomorrow morning everything you schemed will be revealed. You\u2019ll be ruined.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou – you can\u2019t do this to me, Penny? Surely you meant – I mean – you loved me, didn\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLoved – as in past tense. You know the way out.\u201d<\/p>\n She stayed facing the fireplace rather than see him go. She heard the door shut with a soft click. He was gone. In the morning newspaper were printing the headlines of Senator Buchanan\u2019s death. He had been found hanged in his stables. A note was left saying he could not go on, he had never recovered from his son\u2019s death.<\/p>\n Penelope read the newspaper while in bed, eating toast and drinking tea. She thought of the only letter she had actually written, addressed to a Mr Adam Cartwright of the Ponderosa. With a contented sigh, she closed her eyes, and slipped into a sweet sleep. Joe looked up at the speaker and then turned his head to watch as Matt Fraser dismounted. Then he glanced up at Clay again and shrugged,<\/p>\n \u201cMatt\u2019s always been around. He\u2019s -.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I know, he\u2019s an old friend of your Pa\u2019s.\u201d Clay frowned and watched the older man as he walked to the ranch, and pushed open the door, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t even knock nowadays.\u201d he observed.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is the problem with you and Matt?\u201d Hoss exclaimed, pausing in the middle of forking out muck from Chubb\u2019s stall, \u201cYou\u2019ve had a real downer on him for weeks now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI guess I just don\u2019t know him as well you all do,\u201d Clay replied, looking away from Hoss whose complete lack of guile really irritated him, \u201cand it just seems odd that he\u2019s getting so friendly with Ma, just when I come along.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s always been fond of Ma. He wanted to court her some years ago, but she turned him down. Told him there wasn\u2019t anyone else for her except Pa.\u201d Joe sighed, and began to give his saddle some extra elbow grease at the memory.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, then she started courting that Carter some months back. That must have really upset Matt,\u201d Hoss muttered, tossing the steaming muck into the pile he was building up by the side of the stables.<\/p>\n He thought back to the time when he and Joe had fixed up for Matt to escort Ma to the social, and had not realised that Carter had already proposed. He sighed, it could have been embarrassing but in view of how things turned out, it worked out pretty well.<\/p>\n \u201cPerhaps Matt thinks that because Ma considered Carter, she\u2019s about ready now to consider someone else,\u201d Joe suggested, and grinned up at Hoss, not noticing the glower of disapproval he received from Clay.<\/p>\n They were interrupted from any further discussion by the sound of a horse trotting into the yard. Hoss returned to Chubbs stall to fork out more muck, while Joe rubbed even harder on the saddle. Clay, perched on the top rail of his horse\u2019s stall, continued to plait several blades of straw together. \u201cYep, getting\u2019 kinda regular, ain\u2019t it?\u201d Hoss gave his brother a gap toothed grin and a wink.<\/p>\n \u201cSeems to be that way,\u201d Adam replied. He looked over at Clay, and frowned, \u201cClay, I\u2019ve some news for you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFor me? What about?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat Senator, Buchanan, the one whose son you killed,\u201d he pulled out a newspaper from the inside of his jacket, and passed it over to his step brother, \u201cIt\u2019s some weeks out of date, but comes straight from Boston.\u201d<\/p>\n Clay scrambled down from his perch and spread open the newspaper. Hoss and Joe craned their necks to read over his shoulder, while Adam, who had already read it in town, leaned against the stall and watched them.<\/p>\n \u201cHe hanged himself, because of his son\u2019s death,\u201d Hoss muttered, then gave a low whistle. \u201cSo he\u2019s dead,\u201d Clay scrunched the newspaper between his hands, \u201cbut it won\u2019t change things for me, will it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy not?\u201d Hoss asked, stooping to pick the paper up, and smooth it out a little more.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause as far as everyone\u2019s concerned I still killed his son, and now, in a way, I\u2019m responsible for his death too.\u201d Clay\u2019s lips thinned, and he shook his head, clenched his fist and slammed it against the beam supporting the stable joists.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, you\u2019re not,\u201d Adam said quietly, \u201cI also received a letter today, from Scott\u2019s widow. It\u2019s a rather long rambling letter so I won\u2019t bore you with details. She wanted to say she doesn\u2019t blame me for her husband\u2019s death, and to mention that she had no knowledge of her husband\u2019s vocation in life.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cVery nice for you,\u201d Clay remarked sarcastically.<\/p>\n \u201cShe explained that she had found documents in her husband\u2019s private papers that proved that Senator Buchanan had been responsible for hiring her husband to kill Clayton de Marigney. She also explained that she believes that the Senator would probably commit suicide shortly, after she has seen him and confronted him with the details in her possession. In a short while it\u2019s her intention to give the details to the newspapers so that people will be in no doubt as to the kind of man Buchanan really is, or rather, was. No one attaches any blame to you for what happened to Buchanan\u2019s son.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe whistled long and low, and then slapped Clay on the arm,<\/p>\n \u201cHey, ain\u2019t that just good news, Clay? That means those posters can be forgotten now, you\u2019re a free man.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, how about that, Clay? Ain\u2019t\u2019cha pleased?\u201d Hoss exclaimed.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I am,\u201d Clay replied slowly, his eyes widening and shaking his head, \u201cI am. Thanks, Adam, thanks for letting me know.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve told Roy. He\u2019s read the letter. He\u2019ll deal with the posters and all that, so there\u2019s nothing now to worry about, Clay, you\u2019ve got your life ahead of you with no shadows hanging over it anymore.\u201d and Adam smiled, a genuinely kindly smile which Clay acknowledged with one of his own.<\/p>\n He took a deep breath and nodded as though confirming the matter in his own mind. He was free. Buchanan\u2019s shadow no longer clouded his life.<\/p>\n Chapter 120<\/p>\n Marie was more than pleased to receive the news about Buchanan. She read the newspaper report and agreed that it would not have made Clay feel any better had it not been for the letter arriving so opportunely for Adam. \u201cThere\u2019s no need to worry about it, Ma,\u201d Adam replied, and slipped his arm across her shoulders and gave her a hug, \u201cRoy\u2019s been looking into that case for some weeks now, and with Buchanan out of the picture, there\u2019s no pressure on the witnesses anymore. They\u2019ve come forward and despite the passing of a few years, have all confirmed Clay\u2019s story. It was in self defence. In fact, had Clay not been so quick to defend himself the kid that got shot could well have injured or killed some others there.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHear that, Clay?\u201d Joe cried, his voice almost tinkling with relief and pleasure, \u201cYou\u2019re a hero.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI wouldn\u2019t go that far,\u201d Marie laughed, and gave Clay a motherly hug, something that he still wasn\u2019t used to, but was finding he quite liked. \u201cOh Clay, you must be feeling really relieved.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Clay smiled, his eyes twinkled, \u201cYeah, I am.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCome, let\u2019s have supper. Matt, come sit here beside Clay.\u201d Marie smiled over at the rancher, who walked to the table thinking that Clay would no doubt have preferred sitting with his mother.<\/p>\n He looked over at Clay several times during the course of the meal, The atmosphere was certainly light hearted and relaxed. Hoss and Joe joking with Clay. Marie laughing easily and looking quite girlish. He wondered, and had done so for a few weeks now, whether Marie had spoken to Clay about the evening of the box social. He had told her everything that had happened when Clay had come home far from sober, and she had been dismayed, even wept a little which had given him the opportunity to take her in his arms and give her a comforting cuddle. But nothing had been said since, even though Matt had been told by several contacts that Clay was still going out to the big card games held at Amos\u2019 place.<\/p>\n In Matt\u2019s eyes the man was trouble. He was feckless and selfish, having lived a life that centred solely around himself, he had as little sense of loyalty to anyone else as Winnemucca\u2019s horse. Matt always felt a sense of unease when in Clay\u2019s company. Perhaps Marie sensed it for she was never as relaxed with him when Clay was with them.<\/p>\n Adam was also subdued, considering he had been the messenger bearing glad tidings, he was now sitting at the table listening, smiling, but not really partaking of the joviality that was going on amongst his brothers. He ate, drank, spoke when he was spoken to, smiled at times, but was withdrawn for the remainder of the time.<\/p>\n Matt left them shortly after the meal. He was a busy man, and there was always paper work to catch up on. His spread was not the size of the Ponderosa, and did not venture into the diverse fields that the Cartwrights had gone into, but it was still a sizeable place for one man to run.<\/p>\n It was Adam who walked out with him from the house, with his hands stuffed into his back pockets and his head bowed, he seemed still to be lost in the more sober thoughts that had surrounded him during the meal. Just as he reached the horse, Matt turned to him,<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s on your mind, Adam?\u201d he asked in a warm, kindly manner and was surprised to note that the young man appeared startled, before he relaxed sufficiently to give Matt a smile,<\/p>\n \u201cYou know, my Pa used to say that \u2026\u201d he said quietly and sighed, gazed up at the stars and frowned, \u201cThere\u2019s snow on the way.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot for a few weeks yet I should think,\u201d Matt replied, \u201cAre you concerned about Clay?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I guess we\u2019ll always be concerned about Clay in some way or another. I met Zedekiah Murphy in town today. He\u2019s still swearing vengeance on Clay. Reckons he\u2019ll shoot him one of these days.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBit reckless shouting his mouth off like that, isn\u2019t he?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou know Murphy?\u201d Adam shrugged and reached out to stroke the mare\u2019s nose as she had turned her head towards him, \u201cHe\u2019s a mess.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHis wife has a hard time of it with him I\u2019ve heard.\u201d Matt looked at Adam then, to see if the young man would say anything about the accusations Zedekiah had been making about his wife and Adam, but there was no reaction.<\/p>\n \u201cMa told me about what happened the night we were at the Nicholls. Seems Clay returned home hung over and with his pockets weighed down with his winnings.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDid you know he still goes there?\u201d Matt asked quietly, looking thoughtfully at Adam who turned away, nodded, and sighed again. \u201cDoes Joe know?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf he does he doesn\u2019t mention it, not to Hoss nor myself. He seems pretty much under Clay\u2019s spell at times.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t like it?\u201d Matt suggested, wondering if there was a streak of jealousy in the man that could cause Marie further distress later.<\/p>\n \u201cI worry that Joe could be influenced by him in a way that runs contrary to how Ma and Pa would have wanted him to go. And then, Ma tells me that Clay has spoken about going to New Orleans with Joe. With Buchanan dead there\u2019s no reason now for him not to go.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd take Joe with him?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam nodded, and looked glumly at the ground. Matt heaved a sigh and gave him a friendly slap on the shoulder, before mounting the horse. From the saddle he looked down at Adam<\/p>\n \u201cYou know where I am if you need me. Remind your mother of that too, won\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam smiled and nodded. Poor Matt, he thought to himself, still hopeful after all these years. That\u2019s tenacity for you, or, perhaps it\u2019s love, real love.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026<\/p>\n In his room he turned up the flame of the oil lamp, and re-read through Penelope\u2019s letter. It was warm and friendly, apologetic, timid in parts that touched on her husband\u2019s involvement with Carter, himself, Buchanan and Clay.<\/p>\n \u201cIn a short while I shall be sending details about Buchanan to various prominent people – other politicians, and newspaper Editors, as well as the Mayor of the major town in the state Buchanan represented. I want them to know what kind of man he really was and how he climbed his so-called ladder of success by \u2019removing\u2019 anyone who was in his way.<\/p>\n This will not necessarily expose my husbands part in the matter. I have tried so hard to think of ways to hide his involvement and shall be sending all these details anonymously. I know there is no one in the Buchanan camp who know these details. I have to think of my daughters\u2019 futures. To protect them further I shall be leaving Raleigh with them, and shall be taking them to Europe. These past few months have made me realise how few friends I really have here so they will be no loss.<\/p>\n I don\u2019t even know why I am writing this to you, Mr Cartwright. You are the man who, after all, killed my husband. Perhaps that is why. There is a bond between the living and the dead, don\u2019t you think? Perhaps you are the bridge between the two.<\/p>\n Please forgive me if I have presumed too much, please forgive my husband, if you can \u2026I have to ask myself every night if I can forgive him, so I can understand if you and your family find that an impossibility.\u201d<\/p>\n He folded the letter carefully and put it back into the envelope, then slipped it into his desk drawer. He was about to start preparing himself for bed when there was a knock on the door.<\/p>\n Chapter 121<\/p>\n Joe opened the door and stepped into the room with the certainty borne of years of past experience that his brother would not turn him away. He pulled out a chair and sat down, then surveyed his brother thoughtfully,<\/p>\n \u201cYou were pretty quiet during supper, Adam? Any reason in particular?\u201d he asked with his young face looking remarkably grave in contrast to the smiles that had wreathed it during the meal.<\/p>\n \u201cThere were things I had on my mind,\u201d Adam replied, shrugging himself out of his vest, he sighed, \u201cIs there any particular reason for this visit, Joe? Apart from an interest in my well being that is \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Joe was silent for a few minutes. He eventually sighed and leaned forward, as though wishing to speak confidentially to Adam, which prompted his brother to sit down opposite him, and wait patiently.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s good about Buchanan, isn\u2019t it? I mean, the fact that Clay doesn\u2019t have to worry about life back east. He could go back now, couldn\u2019t he?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe could,\u201d Adam replied, \u201cHow would you feel about it if he went back, Joe?\u201d \u201cMexico? Why there? There\u2019s trouble brewing there, Joe. I\u2019d rather wish you would not think of going there.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut you wouldn\u2019t mind if I went to New Orleans with him?\u201d Joe smiled, and leaned back in his chair.<\/p>\n \u201cI would mind, very much.\u201d Adam replied quietly, \u201cBut I would understand why you would want to go with him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou would?\u201d Joe looked surprised.<\/p>\n \u201cOf course. He\u2019s your brother and you\u2019re just beginning to get to know him. It\u2019s perfectly natural. I\u2019d want to go with Hoss if he wanted to go to Missouri, or with you if you chose to go – oh – to Boston.\u201d and he smiled slowly.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, but it ain\u2019t the same is it, I mean, going with Hoss or me? If I went with Clay to New Orleans -\u201d he paused and frowned slightly.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you telling me you intend to go with him? Or asking my permission to go?\u201d Adam asked quietly.<\/p>\n \u201cNiether,\u201d Joe snapped, wishing now that he had not chosen this moment to talk to Adam about how he felt with regard to Clay.<\/p>\n \u201cPerhaps the best person to discuss it with would be your mother,\u201d Adam replied quietly, \u201cShe has the welfare of both of you at heart, Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe shrugged and then after a moment had elapsed he nodded,<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think Ma would want us to go.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course she wouldn\u2019t,\u201d Adam replied, \u201cClay\u2019s her own first born son, and she\u2019s just getting to know him, and you\u2019re her last born, she would never want to part from you, Joe. It wouldn\u2019t be easy to leave her, you know that, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I know.\u201d<\/p>\n He said nothing else but got to his feet and left the room, closing the door quietly behind him. Adam sat on the edge of the bed going over the conversation and wondering what he should have said, or not have said, and wishing that the whole matter could be erased from his memory.<\/p>\n The moon was low in the sky as Joe dismounted close to the grave of his father. He took off his hat and held it tightly, as though nervous about his venture. Since a child he had visited the grave when he was anxious about anything. A five year old has limited memory with regard to a parent, but those they have are usually reinforced by the memories of siblings and the surviving parent. Ben\u2019s personality was so strong, his eyes so alive and his voice so loud and commanding that Joe had, even now, a very clear memory of his father\u2019s features and the sound of him. He could, at a stretch, even remember the smell of him. As he now stood at the grave he envied Adam the time he had been able to share with their father. All those years travelling together, just being together, they must have grown into such a close relationship over all those years that sometimes Joe wondered if Adam were not just a young version of their father.<\/p>\n \u201cPa?\u201d he paused, and glanced around him. There was no one else present. The moon softly shone down sending dappled silver light through the dark newly naked boughs of the trees that shaded the gentle grove. He sighed deeply, and then squatted upon his haunches, and gently touched the grass that covered the ground beneath which his father slept. \u201cPa, I wish you were here now. Do you remember Ma telling you about her son, Clay? He lives here now, with us, but – but he wants to move on. He just ain\u2019t the kind of man to settle down to ranching, Pa. He\u2019s restless, and a bit of an adventurer, I guess. I don\u2019t know how you\u2019d feel about him, but I know from what Adam and Hoss tell me that you\u2019d give him a fair shake, and not judge him just because he likes drinking and playing cards and such.<\/p>\n \u201cPa – I love it here, you know that, don\u2019t you? I can remember when I was small how your would ride about the Ponderosa with me on your saddle, and you\u2019d stop every now and again and tell me about all sorts of things. I can\u2019t recall a lot of what you said, Pa, but I sure enjoyed those rides with you. They made me feel special, you know? I loved you so much, Pa.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t want Clay to leave, Pa, but I can\u2019t chain him to the place. I was thinking to go with him, just for a few years, Pa. But I don\u2019t think Ma would want me to go, she\u2019d not want Clay to go either, but \u2026 I don\u2019t know what to do for the best. I feel torn in two, Pa. Sometimes you lose and sometimes you gain, and sometimes all that\u2019s left is a broken heart. I don\u2019t want to break anyone\u2019s heart, but I don\u2019t want to think back in a few years time that I missed the chance to see some other life.<\/p>\n \u201cOh Pa, I feel lonely for you.\u201d<\/p>\n He could say no more. He stayed there despite the cold night air. It was a clear frosty night and the stars were out in force. He looked up at them once again, and felt so close to them that he could have gone dizzy trying to work out the constellations. As the darkness began to lighten and turn pink, he remounted his horse and turned Cochise in the direction of home.<\/p>\n Chapter 122 It was a cold morning. The sky was grey and the splendour of the previous evening had been replaced by the creeping cold that gets into one\u2019s bones and brought about chills and ague. Joe was wearing his green jacket with the collar up high, to cut out the draught down his neck. He turned at the sound of Clay\u2019s voice and nodded, but did not smile, then he returned to what he had been doing before the interruption, polishing his horse\u2019s bridle,<\/p>\n \u201cAnything wrong?\u201d Clay asked, leaning against the corral fence, and looking into his brother\u2019s face anxiously.<\/p>\n \u201cNot really.\u201d Joe replied, and then bowed his head, too honest to with hold how he felt from Clay, he glanced up, \u201cI was wondering, if we go to Mexico -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, what about if we go to Mexico?\u201d Clay replied, narrowing his eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t you think we should do it soon? I mean, the longer we leave it the worse it will be, with the weather an\u2019 all, you know?\u201d Joe took a deep breath, and again looked up at his brother.<\/p>\n Clay said nothing for a second, but pursed his lips, and leaned upon his folded arms against the fence, then he looked at Joe,<\/p>\n \u201cYou really want to come with me?\u201d he asked, looking into the hazel eyes and seeing the leap of excitement that suddenly appeared there, and wondering why it hadn\u2019t been there before, \u201cAre you sure?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course I\u2019m sure. Look, Ma has Adam and Hoss here, and I guess it won\u2019t be long before you finally realises that Matt really does care about her, and would like her to marry him. If we go now, it could make her realise how much she really needs a man in her life, apart from her sons, I mean.\u201d<\/p>\n Clay shrugged slightly and resumed his observation of the horses. He was pleased with the lines of his roan, the last gift from his grandmother. It had done the beast good staying at the Ponderosa during the past few months. He sighed and nodded,<\/p>\n \u201cTell you what, Joe, how about you and me going into town tonight?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cInto town? Are you sure that\u2019s alright now?\u201d Joe asked tentatively and was surprised when Clay gave a shout of laughter and turned to slap him on the back,<\/p>\n \u201cJoe, here you are talking about going off to Mexico and facing who knows what dangers along the way, and then worrying about going into town. Now, look, brother, do you want to come with me or not? This is a big game tonight, and I\u2019ll need every dollar on the table if we\u2019re to leave here within the next few days.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve enough money to payroll us, Clay.\u201d Joe said quietly, putting the bridle down, and turning to face his brother, \u201cThere\u2019s no need to go into town to get anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLook, Joe, gambling is what I do, it\u2019s the way I live and how I manage to get by. I don\u2019t want you to be thinking of me as a charity case just because I\u2019m your brother.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI – I don\u2019t think that, Clay.\u201d Joe stammered, slightly frowning.<\/p>\n \u201cAnother thing, Joe, you have to bear in mind that things are getting mighty hot down there in Mexico. You may be gone from here for some time. Could you part with Ma that easily?\u201d<\/p>\n He placed a hand on the youth\u2019s shoulder and looked into the wide eyes and saw the doubt replaced by resolve as Joe nodded,<\/p>\n \u201cI guess there\u2019s a time when most men have to walk their own path, Clay. I reckon this is my time, and Ma will understand.\u201d<\/p>\n Clay nodded, his handsome face relaxed into a smile and his eyes twinkled. There was no mistaking that they were brothers, even though they had been raised so many miles apart from each other, there were mannerisms both possessed. The same easy stance, slim hips, twinkling eyes, move of the head.<\/p>\n They turned at the sound of horses, and acknowledged Hoss and Adam with a nod of the head, a lift of the hand, before turning to walk back into the house.<\/p>\n \u201cThey sure looked kinda cosy together,\u201d Hoss muttered, dismounting from Chubb and leading him into his stall.<\/p>\n \u201cH-hm,\u201d Adam nodded and looked at his brother with the disturbing thought that Hoss, the brother Joe loved so much, probably knew nothing about Joe\u2019s confused state of mind at present. He wondered, as he led Sport to his stall, how Hoss would react if Joe were to leave without telling him, and finding out that others knew, or at least suspected, the possibility of his going. \u201cThey get on well enough.\u201d he said quietly.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I guess they\u2019ve a lot of catching up to do,\u201d Hoss slipped the bridle and bit from Chubbs mouth and rubbed the horse\u2019s nose affectionately, \u201cNot like us, being here all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I guess it\u2019s easy to take what we\u2019ve got for granted after a while, Hoss.\u201d Adam muttered, unbuckling the girth strap and sliding the saddle from the horse\u2019s back.<\/p>\n \u201cShucks, I ain\u2019t never done that, I hope,\u201d Hoss cried, looking at Adam anxiously, \u201cSince that day you came home with Pa I swore never to take any of you for granted, ever. Life\u2019s too short and can change within seconds. No, Adam, I treasure every moment I got with all of you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEven Joe?\u201d Adam forced a laugh, life with their little brother had often been a test of endurance, tests over which they had laughed and chuckled many a time.<\/p>\n \u201cEven Joe.\u201d Hoss replied.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat if he decided to leave here, Hoss, how would you feel?\u201d Adam asked, looking over Sport\u2019s back at Hoss, and seeing the shadow fall across his brother\u2019s face and wincing on his behalf. Hoss rallied, swallowed, and nodded,<\/p>\n \u201cI guess if that was what he wanted, Adam, then I\u2019d have no right to stop him. Sure would miss him around the place though.\u201d he glanced over at Adam who was still looking at him rather anxiously, \u201cAre you trying to tell me summat, brother?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know what to tell you exactly, Hoss. I think Joe\u2019s grappling with loyalties just now. If Clay were to ask him to go, perhaps he would.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd leave us? Leave Ma?\u201d Hoss\u2019 blue eyes widened<\/p>\n \u201cMost men leave home sometime, Hoss. It\u2019s the usual thing to do, isn\u2019t it?\u201d Adam replied.<\/p>\n \u201cI guess so, if they\u2019ve gotten themselves a woman to marry.\u201d Hoss shrugged, \u201cDidn\u2019t think that would apply to them, though.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, some youngsters leave for other reasons, like – adventure, seeing new places, learning new things.\u201d Adam swung the saddle onto the rail, and looked over at Hoss, \u201cWouldn\u2019t you want to leave for a while, and find other places?\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss paused in what he was doing, and frowned, then he shook his head,<\/p>\n \u201cEverything I\u2019ve got is here, Adam. I\u2019ve got my brothers, and Ma. I\u2019ve got the Ponderosa, and enough excitement in my life to keep me content forever,\u201d he smiled slowly, and sighed \u201cWhen I open the window in the mornings and smell that smell of the ponderosa wafting down from the valleys I\u2019m just that glad to be home here. In the night time I watch the moon pass around the clouds and the stars shining from heaven and I think of Pa, and how he had a vision those nights we were travelling and all we had was that wagon. Night upon night he would sleep under the stars and look up and dream of one day owning some land. \u2018Course he never knew the land he\u2019d find would be just about jam packed with gold and silver and stuff, he just saw this beautiful place \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026heaven on earth\u201d Adam said softly.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, s\u2019right, heaven on earth.\u201d<\/p>\n They were silent together, remembering the days of their childhood before Marie, before Joe, even before the Ponderosa. Vague recollections for Hoss, reality for Adam. They sighed together and exchanged a smile,<\/p>\n \u201cMy life is here, Adam. I ain\u2019t never gonna leave.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot even for a woman?\u201d Adam laughed, feeling light hearted having shared this time with Hoss.<\/p>\n \u201cNope, any woman wants me, will have to want the Ponderosa too.\u201d Hoss grinned, and began to whistle, as though he had already forgotten all about Joe and Clay, and the disturbing thought of little brother riding off with Marie\u2019s other son.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026<\/p>\n The Sazarac was full to bursting when Joe and Clay pushed through the swing doors. The cigerette smoke was thick enough to cause their eyes to sting immediately, and made them make their initial cough before reaching the counter and ordering their drinks. Clay\u2019s eyes ranged across the tables and then he smiled as Amos raised a hand from the corner table.<\/p>\n He sauntered through the mass of people, threading his way easily around them, pass chairs and tables, closely followed by Joe. Amos pulled out a chair, and then indicated a chair for the younger man. He introduced the other players, most of whom Joe knew. Then a new pack of cards was brought over to them, unsealed, and shuffled. It was Amos who dealt out the first hand.<\/p>\n Joe glanced around him. He missed Lil, and most of all he missed Joy. It had been quite a few weeks since they had left, and still no word from them. He picked up his hand and looked down at the cards he had been dealt. For a moment he couldn\u2019t focus on what he had, and looked up to see Clay watching him. Clay raised one eye brow, and then resumed concentrating on what he had been given. Joe looked at each man there, and could sense the tension. It was the same kind of adrenalin rush that coursed through his veins when he was about to slip into the saddle of an unbroken horse. He looked down at his hand once again and realised he did not have that same kind of feeling coursing through his veins right there and then. He just felt a vague kind of apprehension.<\/p>\n An hour later he was standing at the counter talking to Ross Marquette and Dr Paul Martin. He had a beer in his hand and they were talking about co-incidences and how some things happened in life that would not seem believable even if written in a book.<\/p>\n \u201cFact,\u201d Dr Martin intoned, \u201cis stranger than fiction, take my word for it\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe truth is \u2026\u201d Ross began to say but broke off at the sound of shouting from the corner table.<\/p>\n Zedekiah Murphy was being restrained by two men although he was struggling frantically to get free of them. A gun was on the floor, and Clay was standing, a gun in his hand and a cool appraising look on his face. For an instant Joe could see a strange similarity between Clay and Adam as his brother stood there, facing down his opponent, determined not to give quarter. One of the men holding him looked over at Clay, as though asking his permission, and Clay nodded, although he did not lower his gun. Murphy was released, and when his hand reached out for his pistol, Clay told him to leave it where it was, and to go.<\/p>\n Murphy stood there for a second as though debating whether or not to comply. For a mad second it seemed as though he were actually considering grabbing the gun and taking a chance, but then that mad time passed and he shook his head, shrugged off the two men, and without a word, walked away. He pushed and elbowed his way out of the saloon, leaving an uneasy atmosphere in the room.<\/p>\n All eyes were on Clay, who now holstered his gun, sat down and picked up his cards. He looked at the men there and raised an eyebrow.<\/p>\n \u201cGentlemen,\u201d he said, \u201clet\u2019s get on with the game.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe watched, feeling detached from it all, but yet a real part of it too. Was this what life was going to be like with Clay? Gambling, saloons, drink? He frowned slightly, and turned his back on what was going on at the corner table, although, if he raised his eyes up he could see a reflection of what was happening in the mirror. He picked up his drink, Ross and Paul resumed their conversation, and Joe remembered how close the stars in the sky were the previous evening. \u201cAnd the king was in his counting house, counting out his money.\u201d His mind trickled along the nursery rhyme, Ma would be the Queen baking cakes, and he was the knave running off with them. He frowned, aware now that he had mixed up two nursery rhymes but it seems more applicable to have Ma cooking a cake then sitting down eating honey.<\/p>\n \u201cJoe?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe blinked and looked at Clay, who was looking at him with an odd expression on his face,<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, sure, what\u2019s the matter?\u201d he replied, trying to look alert, although he was longing to go to bed, and the clink of the coins was becoming increasingly melodic.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you alright? You were miles away.\u201d Clay frowned, and put the last of his winnings in the drawer, which he closed with a clunk, and a satisfied smile, \u201cWell, Joe, just say when, and we can go. I\u2019ve enough money to keep us both very comfortably for quite a while, although, as you suggested before, if things got tough we could always hire ourselves out horse breaking.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe widened his eyes, and looked at Clay thoughtfully, wondering just who it was he meant by the plural with regards to horse breaking. He stood u p,<\/p>\n \u201cRight now, I\u2019m ready for bed. See you in the morning,\u201d he looked at the drawer with all the money in it, and then at Clay, who was looking at him with a doubtful expression on his face, \u201cDon\u2019t worry, I shan\u2019t change my mind. It was my suggestion after all, wasn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou can change your mind if you want to, Joe. I\u2019m not going to keep you hog tied to a promise you wouldn\u2019t want to keep.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe said nothing but merely smiled and left the room. It would be an adventure, he told himself, he and Clay together. He could always come home, anytime he wanted. If he wanted \u2026<\/p>\n He passed Hoss\u2019 door and paused, listening to his brother\u2019s snores He smiled to himself, and continued on his way to his room. Passing his mother\u2019s room he noticed the thin strip of light beneath the door, and wondered if she were asleep yet, so tapped very gently getting an immediate response when her voice bade him to enter.<\/p>\n \u201cHi, Ma,\u201d he stood at the door, poised for flight, but pleased to see her, and well aware of the fact that she had stayed awake to make sure that her sons were safely home.<\/p>\n \u201cDid you enjoy your evening, Joseph?\u201d she asked, her smile softening the way she addressed him. He looked at her, and wondered if she knew him so well that she could have replied for him. Her patient smile, gentle eyes, made him long for the days when he was small and he could run into her arms and be assured a cuddle and a kiss on the brow.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, it was good in parts. Dr Martin sends you his regards, Ma.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, he was there too, was he?\u201d she frowned, and then gave a slight shrug of the shoulders, \u201cI thought it was a private party.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, not really.\u201d Joe hesitated, wondering what exactly Clay had told their mother. He smiled at her again, \u201cYou look pretty, Ma. Has Matt been round this evening?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, he has better things to do with his time than come calling on a crotchety old lady like me.\u201d she said, but her smile widened even as she spoke, and Joe realised that his mother was becoming quite fond of having Matt call round to see her.<\/p>\n \u201cMa, he\u2019s very fond of you, you know. Why don\u2019t you give him a chance?\u201d \u201cI – I guess we are, Ma.\u201d he said softly and looked at her again, and noticed how the light had gone from her eyes and the smile had vanished, being replaced with care and anxiety.<\/p>\n \u201cYou will let me know, won\u2019t you? You won\u2019t just go without saying anything?\u201d she asked, wanting to get up and go to him, hold him tightly in her arms and stop him from going. But mothers all over the world had to face the day when their babies became men and left home – didn\u2019t they?<\/p>\n \u201cOf course, Ma.\u201d he smiled again, mainly to reassure her and also to ease his conscience. It would be so much easier if he could have just slipped out of the house and disappear.<\/p>\n He closed the door and hurried to his room. Adams door was ajar, but the room was in darkness. He wondered if his brother had been awake and had heard the brief conversation he had had with Ma, but rather than peek inside the room to find out, he pushed open the door to his own room and hurried to get into bed for some much needed sleep.<\/p>\n Marie sat for some time at her dressing table and then looked down at her journal. She wrote a few more lines. The conclusion of the day. She read it through, and as she did so a tear slipped from her cheek and fell with a soft plop on the last few lines she had just written.<\/p>\n Chapter 123<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hoss pulled up the collar of his coat and waited patiently by the hitching rail outside the bank. He looked up and down the main street and watched as people walked by. It was clear winter was well on its way as the ladies had to hold onto their bonnets and their skirts were blowing every which way.<\/p>\n Clay came out of the bank whistling and looking cheerful. He had deposited all his winnings into an account and had everything set up to draw on the account whenever the need arose. He smiled at Hoss who nodded and grinned back in return,<\/p>\n \u201cTime for a drink, Hoss? My round?\u201d and the good natured eyes twinkled.<\/p>\n \u201cNo thanks, Clay, had better get back. I\u2019ve a whole heap of things to do before supper.\u201d he nodded a greeting to Widow Hawkins as she passed by and smiled at them both.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, you don\u2019t mind if I do, do you?\u201d Clay raised his eyebrows and smiled, and Hoss thought he was a real good natured pleasant guy really, with enough of Joe\u2019s personality in him to make him a real likeable stepbrother.<\/p>\n \u201cYou go right ahead, Clay. Joe\u2019s probably in there now anyhow,\u201d and he gave Clay a friendly slap on the back and walked around to mount up into Chubbs\u2019 saddle. With a wave of the hand to Clay he turned the horse around and cantered gently out of town. Clay watched him go and thought how pleasant it would be to return to the Ponderosa one day and get to know Hoss better.<\/p>\n Joe was standing at the counter drinking and talking when Clay entered the saloon. He didn\u2019t see his brother and Clay did not make a point of approaching him, instead he walked over to the card table and asked if he could join in the game they were playing. There were not many people in the saloon so it did not take long for Joe to realise Clay was there, and he ordered his brother a beer.<\/p>\n Once again he raised his eyes and watched his brother through the mirror. He smiled, wondering what adventures were in store for them in Mexico. He pictured dark eyed girls with bright skirts swishing as they danced their wild dances in the tavern\u2019s. There were some old friends of his Pa\u2019s living near the borders of Texas, perhaps they could get work on their hacienda\u2019s should they need to, although Clay seemed quite positive that they would not. Joe switched his mind back to the present, blinked and then saw what he never expected to see. But then, had he seen it? He strained his eyes to concentrate. No, surely not? Clay couldn\u2019t possibly have cheated.<\/p>\n Joe\u2019s heart seemed to miss a beat and then do a double beat to get back into the swing of things. He took a deep breath. Surely had Clay cheated the other men at the table would have said something. He scanned their faces.Three men and Clay. Two seemed perfectly at ease, but the third seemed uncomfortable. He looked cagily at Clay and then at his hand. Joe took a huge gulp of air as he watched the game progress. It would be when they put the cards down, when Clay turned up the trump card and reached out for the takings, then the man would accuse him of cheating. Clay would deny it, and then what? A shoot out? Joe could feel cold trickles running up and down his spine.<\/p>\n It was at that point that Clay raised his eyes and met Joe\u2019s. He smiled and winked. Then frowned, wondering why Joe was looking so stricken. He turned to the man on his right who had spoken, and thoughts of Joe went out of his mind.<\/p>\n The game came to its end and this time Clay did not win, but good naturedly threw his money into the pot and congratulated the winner. He left the gaming table and strolled over to Joe, who passed him the beer.<\/p>\n \u201cYou should have joined us, Joe. The game needed warming up some,\u201d he tasted the beer, \u201ca bit like this beer, I suppose.\u201d and he laughed his boyishly innocent laugh which made Joe wonder, yet again, whether or not he had imagined what he had seen or not.<\/p>\n He said nothing. All the way home he wondered why he didn\u2019t mention it, but at the back of his mind he knew the reason. He was afraid that Clay would say, yes, and what was the big deal? And if he did say that, then what was the point of it all? How could he think of leaving the Ponderosa with a man who cheated and would end up getting shot one of these days.<\/p>\n \u201cWe leave tomorrow,\u201d Clay said as they dismounted, \u201cThe weathers turning now, and I want to find myself a nice warm place to stay before the snows set in. You\u2019re sure you want this, Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe swallowed the lump in his throat along with the doubt. Clay always swore he never cheated, he must therefore have been mistaken in even thinking he had earlier. He had to believe that Clay would never cheat, nor lie. He was going to lose far more than he would gain if he were to be other than he claimed.<\/p>\n Chapter 124 \u201cHey, Joe, I\u2019ve just set up the checkers, we\u2019ve just got time for a game before supper.\u201d he rubbed his hands together with a chortle of delight having worked out yet another \u2018new\u2019 strategy to use on Joe and win the game.<\/p>\n \u201cJust a minute, Hoss,\u201d Adam raised his hand, the letter hovered over his head, \u201cJoe, I\u2019ve got a request from B & J. Hanratty in Sacremento. They want to discuss some business with us as soon as possible. Here – read the letter and let me know what you think? I thought perhaps you and Hoss could take a trip and meet Mr Hanratty to talk over the details. It could be a good timber contract for the Ponderosa if you play your cards right.\u201d his dark eyes gleamed and Joe had a terrible feeling in the pit of his stomach that Adam knew all about what had happened in the saloon that day. Perhaps he had known other occasions, noticed other things.<\/p>\n He took the letter and tried to read it, but the words seemed to have turned into so many worms that wriggled over the vellum upon which they were written. Marie came into the room, and gave them both a kiss on the cheek.<\/p>\n \u201cYou look very handsome today, Clay. It\u2019s not often we see you looking this smart during the day.\u201d she observed, and smiled at him, then turned to Joe, \u201cDid you get the mail, dear?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe mail?\u201d Joe stammered, looking from her to the letter in his hand, and then to Adam who knew him too well not to detect that there was something worrying his little brother. \u201cSure, Ma, I\u2019ve got it here,\u201d and he pulled out a wad of letters which he handed to her.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d Adam asked, looking at them both with his dark eyes narrowed and his head inclined slightly to one side as though weighing up the chances that what he was about to be told was bad news.<\/p>\n \u201cNothing\u2019s wrong,\u201d Clay replied, and he put his gunbelt down beside Joe\u2019s, and then he smiled his generous smile that made dimples form in his cheeks and his eyes dance \u201cJoe and me, we\u2019ve decided to go down to Mexico for the winter, haven\u2019t we, Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe swallowed, and his eyes darted to Hoss, who looked as though he was thunder struck. The blue eyes seemed to lose their colour, and his mouth became slack, opening into a gape of amazement. Joe then looked at Marie as though wishing he could turn back the clock just a few minutes so that he could have taken hold of her hand and said something to prepare her, but the look on her face now as the colour faded and then flooded back, unsettled him.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen was this decided?\u201d Adam asked, standing up to face them both, but staring at Joe as though he couldn\u2019t believe what he had just been told.<\/p>\n Joe looked at his eldest brother, and noticed how suddenly haggard the handsome face had become, and the eyes were overlarge in their sockets. He swallowed again, and blinked.<\/p>\n \u201cWe – Clay and I – were thinking about it for a while now. Thought we should go before the winter really sets in.\u201d he stammered, realising that his voice was sounding reedy and thin.<\/p>\n Hoss just stared at him with his blue eyes seeing a little boy from a long time ago who hugged him and swore he would never leave him, and now, here he was, grown up and going. He felt as though his world had fallen apart. There were no words he could speak, his throat was too dry, and the words wouldn\u2019t form in his head. He swallowed, tried to get some spit around his tongue, but nothing happened. He could do nothing but stare at Joe and wish with all his heart and every ounce of his being that Joe had not said the words he had just a moment ago.<\/p>\n Adam passed a hand over his face, held it against his nose and mouth for a second, and then let his hand drop to rest on the back of a chair. He released his breath, unaware that he had held it in for so long, and pursed his lips, and looked over at Marie, then at Clay. \u201cNo, it was Joe\u2019s. I had thought of going to New Orleans, seeing as Joe has only been there the once, but what with all this talk of trouble down south, kinda let it pass. Then Joe mentioned about Mexico.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs that right, Joe?\u201d Adam asked his youngest brother, who gulped and nodded. Adam looked once again at Marie, and then turned his head to observe Hoss, \u201cWell, so, what was it you said? When are you going?\u201d he turned to look at Clay and then Joe.<\/p>\n \u201cTo-morrow,\u201d Joe muttered, and looked at Hoss, who could only lower his eyes and stare at the checkers board.<\/p>\n \u201cTo-morrow?\u201d Marie said in a half whisper, \u201cIt doesn\u2019t give you very much time to get ready, does it?\u201d her voice quavered, and she was wringing her hands, and trying not to cry. She didn\u2019t want her sons to leave home seeing her crying and weeping like some foolish old woman. She wanted them to see she had trust in them, confidence in their manhood, and faith in their safe return.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll be travelling light,\u201d Clay replied, and he put his arm around Marie\u2019s shoulders and hugged her against him, \u201cMa, you didn\u2019t really expect me to stay here, did you? I warned you that you\u2019d never make a rancher of me, didn\u2019t I?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, of course,\u201d Marie nodded, and smiled, looked up into his face and then looked over at Joe who had appeared to have become rooted to the floor for he had not moved an inch. She looked at Adam, who remained standing, gripping the back of the back so hard that the knuckles had turned white, and then she looked at Hoss, and had to struggle to keep the tears from spilling over, \u201cWell, I had better go and check supper.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s alright, Ma,\u201d Hoss said, standing up slowly, \u201cI\u2019m not hungry. I couldn\u2019t eat a thing.\u201d and without a word he walked to the door, walked pass Joe as though he were not there, and opened the door.<\/p>\n Adam watched the door open and then close. He frowned slightly as he turned his gaze upon Clay and Joe, and slightly shook his head,<\/p>\n \u201cSo, Mexico, huh?\u201d he shrugged, and released his grip on the back of the chair, \u201cWell, let\u2019s hope the weather stays good for your journey.\u201d he pulled the letter from Joe\u2019s hand, and folded it up carefully, as though it was the most important thing on his mind just then. \u201cI\u2019ll go and see if Hoss is alright, if you\u2019ll excuse me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d Joe stepped forward, \u201cNo, Adam. If you don\u2019t mind, I think I should go and see if he\u2019s .. if he\u2019s alright.\u201d<\/p>\n They looked at one another, dark eyes gazing into hazel. Then Adam nodded, and turned to face the fire, while Joe hurried to the door. The big man turned at the sound of his name and looked over at his brother, framed in the stable doorway. He nodded at Joe, and then returned to his task, as though it were the only thing on his mind at that moment.<\/p>\n \u201cJoe.\u201d he muttered by way of acknowledgement.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019re you doing?\u201d Joe asked, and entered the stable to reach his brother\u2019s side.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s it to you?\u201d Hoss replied quietly, not looking up but continuing to tightly braid the lariat, \u201cYou ain\u2019t gonna be around much longer, so no point in showing any interest in what I\u2019m doing, is there?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat for?\u201d Hoss shrugged, and didn\u2019t look up at his brother, \u201cFor not telling me you were planning on leaving? Or for going anyway?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBoth, I reckon.\u201d Joe replied quietly, and reached out his hand to place it on Hoss\u2019 busy fingers, \u201cStop doing that, Hoss, I want to talk to you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou want to talk to me – now? Why not before, Joe? Why not when you first thought up this crazy idea of going to Mexico? Why leave the talking until now?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause -\u201dJoe looked into Hoss\u2019 eyes and saw all the pain and hurt there that he had wanted never to see again. The last time he had seen his brother like this was when they thought Adam was dying just those few months ago, and prior to that it had been at Ben\u2019s death. He sighed heavily and bowed his head, \u201cLook, Hoss, I couldn\u2019t talk to you about it, because I knew of all of us here, you would be the one that would stop me from going.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cExactly.\u201d Hoss exclaimed, \u201cSo, why go?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause I want to go, Hoss. I want to see other places and visit them and have adventures.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s just a kid talking, Joe. You\u2019re more sensible than that -.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe frowned, and regarded Hoss with surprise. Did Hoss really think that he was just a kid swayed by foolish notions?<\/p>\n \u201cNo, Hoss, I really want to leave and go with Clay.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh\u201d Hoss nodded emphatically, \u201cThat\u2019s the main thrust of the matter, ain\u2019t it? You want to go off and have adventures with Clay.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s my brother, Hoss.\u201d Joe said simply.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, don\u2019t we know it. So what does that make Adam and me? Disposable cousins first removed?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe blinked again. Such a comment at other times would have had been curled up in laughter, especially coming from Hoss.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, not at all. Hoss, don\u2019t you see what this means to me? Clay\u2019s my brother, just like you and Adam. But, I\u2019ve not grown up around him, like I have with you both and right now feels the right time to go out and find what he\u2019s like, and to just have time together.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf he stayed put here, you could have all the time in the world to get to know one another. Look, Joe, you ain\u2019t thinking straight here. You\u2019re a rancher, a horse breaker, a doggone good one too, but Clay\u2019s a gambler, a by chancer. There ain\u2019t much that you\u2019ve got in common with each other, is there?\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss looked at Joe, who said nothing. He waited for a moment for Joe to reply, but there was no response. He shrugged,<\/p>\n \u201cSo, what are you gonna be doing, Joe, while Clay is spending his evenings playing cards? You\u2019re a real lousy card player, you know, but Clay\u2018s a professional gambler. Are you just gonna be spending your evenings in saloons losing money on drinking and women while he does his card tricks, is that it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, Hoss, it won\u2019t be like that -.\u201d Joe said quietly.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd what about Ma? How\u2019d you think she\u2019s gonna feel wondering where you are an\u2019 all?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll write. It\u2019ll be just as if I were going on that trip to Sacremento that Adam was talking about, only a bit longer, that\u2019s all.\u201d Joe protested, his eyes widening as he saw Hoss struggling to keep his emotions in check.<\/p>\n \u201cI thought you\u2019d always be here, Joe. You were the one born here, remember? You were the one Pa said had his root stock tapped down into the earth here. Shucks, the way Pa talked about you we expected you to be born with the Ponderosa brand on your butt.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPa wouldn\u2019t have objected to my going for a while, Hoss. He went from his family when he was younger than me. He went off to sea and hardly ever saw them again. I\u2019m just going for a trip to Mexico with Clay, that\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI wish it were -,\u201d Hoss said with a sigh.<\/p>\n Joe frowned, wondering what else he could say. He put a hand on his brother\u2019s arm and wondered if Hoss would shrug it off, but he didn\u2019t, he just continued with his working on the lariat, and Joe could feel the strength in the man\u2019s arms beneath the thin cloth between his fingers and Hoss\u2019 flesh.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, sure.\u201d Hoss muttered.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy not come in for some supper, Hoss. Please?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThanks all the same, but I ain\u2019t hungry.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPlease, Hoss, it\u2019s my last supper with you all, and I couldn\u2019t bear it if you weren\u2019t there with us.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss looked down at the lariat in his hand and continued plying the leather throngs together. With a sigh Joe turned, paused and looked back,<\/p>\n \u201cWill I see you tomorrow?\u201d<\/p>\n There was no answer. He sighed again and turned to leave.<\/p>\n \u201cJoe?\u201d<\/p>\n He paused and turned, Hoss was there right on top of him, and embraced him so tightly that he felt he was being smothered. But then he relaxed into the big man\u2019s hug, and reached out to hug him in return,<\/p>\n \u201cShucks, Joe, I sure am going to miss you. Are you sure this is what you want?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe said nothing, he just squeezed his eyes tightly shut so that he could hold back the tears.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 126<\/p>\n As one could well imagine the meal was a spectacularly dismal one. Even Clay, who for some mischievous reason of his own had attempted light hearted banter initially, became subdued into silence.<\/p>\n Hoss ate very little. He would raise his eyes and look around the table. He saw his Ma\u2019s pretty face with a sad pallor upon it, and her eyes turning constantly towards Joseph. This would prompt him to look at his little brother and then have to look away, with the thought that nagged at the back of his mind like tooth ache, that he may never see him again.<\/p>\n Joe felt as though he had committed some heinous crime for which he was being unfairly treated. The quietness and sadness around the table did nothing to assure him of their love for him, it only made him feel guilty for hurting them. Upon feeling guilty he sought to justify why, and then became irritated. He would occasionally glance up, and flash angry sullen looks from his hazel eyes at them all, and was rewarded with patient smiles from his mother, misery from Hoss and cool appraisal from Adam.<\/p>\n Thank goodness Clay was here, Joe thought, at least he would understand. He would look over at Clay and find there a ready smile and a wink of the eye. It soothed Joe\u2019s ruffled confused feelings and convinced him that his action was correct. He had every right to travel, to move on, to go to Mexico with Clay.<\/p>\n Hoss excused himself soon after the meal came to an end. Hop Sing came to the table bearing an odd resemblance to Banquo\u2019s ghost in Shakespeare\u2019s \u2018MacBeth\u2019. His dark eyes were turned to Clay and then Joe, and as he passed the younger man he sighed audibly. Obviously he also was suffering at the thought of the youngest Cartwright riding away from the Ponderosa.<\/p>\n \u201cCan I talk with you, Ma?\u201d Clay asked, as Hoss disappeared up the stairs, and Marie, after casting an anxious look up after the young man, looked at her son, sighed, and nodded. \u201cIn private?\u201d<\/p>\n She took him into her own small room, and indicated chair where he could sit. He looked at her, pulled the chair forward, closer to her own, and took hold of her hand,<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t be angry with me, will you?\u201d he asked, his eyes fixed upon her face lovingly.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not angry, Clay. Why should I be angry?\u201d she looked surprised, and stroked his face gently with her hand which he seized hold of eagerly,<\/p>\n \u201cBecause of Joe. Because I\u2019m leaving.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s nothing to be angry about, Clay. Sad, disappointed – yes, those things, but not angry. I wish with all my heart you could have felt it possible to stay here, but I can understand why you would want to leave. You\u2019re not a Cartwright, after all.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, no, I\u2019m not a Cartwright,\u201d Clay said oddly, as though it was hard to get the words out of his mouth.<\/p>\n \u201cBut Joe – I never thought he would ever leave the Ponderosa. Ben would -,\u201d she paused, and closed her eyes, shook her head and then looked at him, \u201cWell, he\u2019s 17, nearly 18 now. It\u2019s only natural he would want to explore the world. I wish he were not. I thought he would never want to go from his brothers, from home.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt was his suggestion, Ma.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, but as I said once before to you, Clay, he would have been influenced by you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n Joe looked at Adam, who stood up from the table and walked over to the glasses and decanter. He paused and looked at Joe,<\/p>\n \u201cWhiskey, Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEr – sure, why not.\u201d Joe replied rather surprised at the offer and he watched his brother pour out the golden liquid into two glasses.<\/p>\n Adam turned and handed Joe one glass and indicated the chair upon which Joe could sit, while he himself chose to sit down on the blue hard backed chair. Both of them cradled the glass in their hands, waiting for the other to speak. Joe looked at his brother,<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll miss you, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI should hope so,\u201d Adam replied, raising his chin and looking at Joe thoughtfully, \u201cI didn\u2019t think you would go, Joe, I thought you would stay home.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI have every right to move on, Adam. I don\u2019t have to stay.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, no one said you had to stay. I just thought you would prefer to stay.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHaven\u2019t you ever wished you could leave? Go places? Explore?\u201d Joe said, a little louder than normal conversation required, but feeling so much the need to justify why he was going to this quiet rather aloof figure.<\/p>\n \u201cI travelled and saw places throughout my whole child hood, Joe. Pa and I never settled any place, as you know. I guess I exhausted any desire of wander lust in me by the time I was six.\u201d Adam sighed heavily, and turned to observe the fire, for a few moments he said nothing,<\/p>\n \u201cI wanted to be angry with you, Joe, and to demand you stay, if only for Ma\u2019s sake. But then, I thought of when I was 17 years old. I thought I would never leave the Ponderosa, and I never even thought I could want to do so. Then Pa told me about going to college and how they had made plans for me to go. The excitement and thrill of what that entailed was a feeling I shall never forget in my life. Of course, the moment ended when Pa was killed, and any thought of leaving – well, things change.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe felt uncomfortable and shifted in his seat, he cast a quick look at Ben\u2019s picture and gulped.<\/p>\n \u201cAnyway, I got to thinking about that time, the feeling I had at 17, thinking I was leaving and going to college. I guess it must be how you\u2019re feeling now, you\u2019re 17, and you\u2019ve been here all your life long really. It\u2019s only natural that you would want to go – with Clay.\u201d Adam leaned forward, \u201cYou realise, don\u2019t you, Joe, that Clay – well – he lives by a different standard to those Pa instilled in us. I\u2019m not accusing him of anything, only that I want you to be very careful. It won\u2019t be any shame on you if you get to feel you\u2019ve done the wrong thing, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo you think Pa would want me to go? I mean, would he mind my going?\u201d Joe asked, rather than continue along the lines of the conversation Adam had taken him along.<\/p>\n Adam now cast a look up at the portrait of their father, and he drew in a deep breath,<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019d understand why you\u2019d want to go,\u201d he replied eventually, \u201cAfter all, he ran away to sea when he was young, then left Boston with me as soon as he could. I think he would not want you to go, but he wouldn\u2019t stop you.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe looked at Adam and realised once again that his brother\u2019s total honesty had overcome his desire to demand that Joe remain on the Ponderosa. He had put his emotions on hold, and used logic and discernment instead. Better that than anything else. At least this last meeting would be harmonious.<\/p>\n Clay and Marie joined them at that moment, and Clay, seeing the whiskey had been dispensed, immediately got a glass and filled it. He turned to Joe, and Adam, and smiled h is sunny smile. In Clay\u2019s world everything was falling very neatly into place.<\/p>\n Marie looked at them, and felt her heart tighten. She loved Joe passionately. He was her second born son, and the son of Ben Cartwright whom she had loved so very much. He was her world and she felt now that her world had spun out of her control. She looked at Clay and her mind drifted over bits of conversations she had had with him, things she had noticed, things she had been anxious over. As Adam handed her a glass of wine, she smiled, and hid the realisation that her first born son was a true de Marigney, a product of his grandmother\u2019s upbringing to perfection.<\/p>\n Chapter 127<\/p>\n Joseph Francis Cartwright arose in the morning with a bubble of excitement churning over and over in the pit of his stomach. As he looked out of the window at the pine laden mountains, at the early morning dawn peeking above their tips, he wondered when he would next set his eyes upon them. It was a beautiful morning. He could hear the chickens clucking, and the subdued voices of the hired men from the bunkhouse drifting across the yard. Someone was whistling, so he pulled open the window to see who it was and smiled when he saw Clay strolling towards the stables, with his saddlebags already packed. He pulled open the window and gave a piercing whistle upon hearing which Clay turned, saw his brother and laughed,<\/p>\n \u201cHey, have you forgotten something?\u201d Joe laughed.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I\u2019ve got all I need right here,\u201d Clay lifted his saddlebags and laughed along with Joe, \u201cHurry up, lazybones, this is a great day to start our travels.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe promptly disappeared from view, and Clay turned to resume his journey to the stables, whistling contentedly and without an apparent care in the world.<\/p>\n Hoss turned as Clay entered the stables. He put his hands in his pockets and watched Clay toss the saddlebags on a bale of hay, and walk over to where his saddle and tack awaited him,<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve checked their shoes.\u201d Hoss said, walking alongside Clay as the other man took the saddle blanket to his horse.<\/p>\n \u201cThanks, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, they\u2019re good for some time yet.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThanks.\u201d Clay smoothed out the blanket over the horse\u2019s back and then returned for his saddle. Sensing the need in Hoss to talk, he turned to look at him, \u201cLook, big fella, I don\u2019t want you to think I came here and I\u2019m stealing your little brother away from you. It was his idea to go to Mexico, not mine.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, sure. Somehow that doesn\u2019t much help.\u201d Hoss replied, his brow crinkling.<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d Clay paused in the act of putting the saddle on his mount, \u201cI guess it doesn\u2019t help knowing your little brother has made the decision for himself to leave here. Don\u2019t worry about him, Hoss, he\u2019ll come back.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, well, so long as it isn\u2019t in a pine box, Clay.\u201d<\/p>\n Clay straightened his back and turned to take a long look at Hoss, then frowned, before turning back to buckle the girth strap,<\/p>\n \u201cHe won\u2019t.\u201d he replied quietly.<\/p>\n \u201cJoe\u2019s pretty hot headed at times,\u201d Hoss said quietly, \u201cTrouble has a habit of following him around. So, like I said, you better take care of him, Clay, because if anything happens to him, I\u2019ll be coming looking for you.\u201d<\/p>\n Clay opened his mouth to speak but Hoss had already said what he wanted to say, and was leaving the stable, his chin raised defiantly as he strode out towards the house.<\/p>\n \u201cGreat!\u201d Clay hissed between his teeth, and resumed buckling the girth strap.<\/p>\n Adam Cartwright opened the door of the house and stood on the porch. He took a deep breath of fresh air and looked up at the sky. It was a lovely day no doubt about it. He had to admit that Joe and Clay could not have chosen a better one. He then saw Clay leading his horse to the hitching rail, and he watched the man walking across the yard, unaware of the observation he was being given. By the time Clay had tethered the reins to the rail, the man in black was standing by his side. \u201cI guess so.\u201d Clay replied and stepped forward, only to find his way blocked as Adam leaned against the rail.<\/p>\n \u201cTell me, Clay. Why did you come here? It\u2019s puzzled me that you\u2019d known Marie\u2019s existence all those years, and only now chose to ride back into her life.\u201d he looked at Clay thoughtfully, a slight frown furrowing his brow.<\/p>\n Clay looked at him, thought about avoiding a reply, and then thought again. He shrugged,<\/p>\n \u201cTo tell you the truth I was curious. I wanted to see what my mother was like. Is there any harm in that?\u201d he asked challengingly, narrowing his own eyes as he spoke.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, quite natural. But you took ten years and more of just being curious, Clay. Ma lived all those years thinking you were dead, and then you ride into her life again, but without the real intention of staying, isn\u2019t that right?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI never made a secret of the fact that I would be leaving, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam looked at Clay intensely, as though striving to look deep into the very depths of the man\u2019s heart. Clay felt himself going red, and shrugged,<\/p>\n \u201cI needed a stake if you must know.\u201d he said curtly, \u201cI happened to be near the Ponderosa and thought it would be a good time to come and meet her. I didn\u2019t think she would be – well, like she is, so lovely. I had been given an altogether different picture of her. The months here, getting to know her, and Joe, they\u2019ve been good months, Adam. But I can\u2019t stay, and I never promised her that I would.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo you came here to see what you could get out of a woman you had never seen before?\u201d Adam frowned, and it was his turn to shrug, \u201cI guess, for a man in your profession, it would be considered a fair enough gamble.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI suppose so. Except that I really care about her, Adam, and I didn\u2019t really expect to do so. Then, of course, there\u2019s Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, there\u2019s Joe.\u201d Adam sighed, and looked down at their boots, drawing in his bottom lip.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was his idea to go from here, Adam. He\u2019s at that age when he needs to explore, to travel and get some independence. You shouldn\u2019t hold him back.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not,\u201d Adam said softly. \u201cBut, you see, I care about Joe, and I care about Marie. When you rode back into her life, she thought she could never be happier. Both her sons under the one roof. Now both her sons are going away from her, out of her life, perhaps. She\u2019s going to be hurting over this for a long time, Clay.\u201d<\/p>\n Clay looked at Adam and frowned, then he shrugged,<\/p>\n \u201cI realise that, but as I said before, I made no promises to stay. It\u2019s hardly my fault that Joe wants to leave here with me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, perhaps not, and perhaps, one day he would have gone anyway. But, the thing is, Clay, he is leaving with you. Now, I know how you play your games, not just with cards either, but with people too. If anything happens to Joe -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt won\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI said, if anything happens to Joe, believe me, Clay, I\u2019ll come looking for you, and no matter where you try to hide, I\u2019ll find you.\u201d<\/p>\n Clay frowned, stared into the dark brown eyes and saw himself reflected back in the dark pupils.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd then what?\u201d he hissed.<\/p>\n \u201cThen you\u2019ll find out.\u201d Adam replied.<\/p>\n \u201cLook, Cartwright, just because you never had the courage to get up and leave this place, doesn\u2019t give you the right to threaten me.\u201d Clay leaned forwards, his face closer to that of Adams.<\/p>\n \u201cThreaten you?\u201d Adam\u2019s voice deepened, \u201cI\u2019m not threatening you, Clay. I\u2019m just telling you what will happen if any harm comes to my brother, that\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n Clay stepped back, then pushed Adam angrily aside, and stalked towards the house. He didn\u2019t look back, although he could feel the other man\u2019s eyes boring into him.<\/p>\n Adam watched as Clay entered the house. So Clay thought he had never had the courage to leave the Ponderosa did he? He drew in a deep breath and looked up at the sky.<\/p>\n What if he had gone to college all those years ago? Life would have been so different for him then. He knew what the excitement was all about that was consuming Joe now. Even if he had experienced it for just a short hour or so, he had known briefly the exhilaration of seeing life ahead opening up before him. Going back East, meeting \u2018civilized\u2019 people, conversing about subjects that really mattered to him, and reading books, visiting libraries, having the whole vista of his life opening up before him.<\/p>\n He shivered. But it was not to be, no, not for him. He sighed knowing that it took courage to stay where he was, not to leave, no, that would be the all too easy way out.<\/p>\n What if Ben had lived and Marie had died? Now, that was something to think about! The meal was over. Joe ate heartily, Hoss sparingly, Adam mechanically and Marie not at all, while Clay just moved his food around the plate. The last cup of coffee was poured and they lingered over it. As the minutes ticked away Marie became paler and paler.<\/p>\n All mothers must go through this, she told herself. Some mothers wave their children away to war and never see them again. Joe would hate me if I insisted on him staying here. One must cut the apron strings and then he\u2019ll love me still, no matter where he travels. \u2018Oh dear God\u2019 she whispered to herself, \u2018This is unbearable, give me strength to endure it.\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cTime to go,\u201d Clay said, looking at each of them in turn. \u201cTime waits for no man, so the saying goes.\u201d<\/p>\n They looked at him woodenly, as he smiled at them and pushed himself away from the table and stood up. He turned to Marie, who was now also standing, and he put his arms around her,<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll look after him, Ma. Don\u2019t worry about him, please.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a mothers duty to worry,\u201d she said, and smiled, but there were tears in her eyes, and she was surprised that she was able to speak and that the words came out and made any sense.<\/p>\n Joe stood up now and took her hand in his, and looked into the face he had loved for so long. He touched her cheek, and looked sad at the sight of the tears,<\/p>\n \u201cOh Ma, don\u2019t be sad. I\u2019ll come back. Think of all the adventures I shall be able to tell you about?\u201d and he leaned forwards and kissed her gently.<\/p>\n \u201cOh Joe, Joe,\u201d she cried, in a great convulsive sob, and she clung to him tightly, holding him close, wishing she could hold him like that and never let go of him. \u201cMister Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n They turned as Hop Sing came into the room. He stood there with a package in his hands and his face sad.<\/p>\n \u201cHop Sing?\u201d the young man replied and stepped towards him, this friend and dear companion of his child hood. He put out a hand to take hold of Hop Sings, but Hop Sing only held forward the package and place it in the proffered hand.<\/p>\n \u201cGift from old friend. Don\u2019t forget him,\u201d Hop Sing said quietly, and bowed.<\/p>\n Joe felt a tightening of the throat, and tears sprung to his eyes. He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Hop Sing and hugged him warmly<\/p>\n \u201cI won\u2019t, Hop Sing. I\u2019ll never ever forget you.\u201d he cried.<\/p>\n Hop Sing nodded, extricated himself with difficulty and then made once again a dignified bow to them all, before returning to his domain. He would watch the departure from the window.<\/p>\n \u201cHoss?\u201d Joe approached his brother and smiled, although he was blinking rapidly to stop the tears from trickling down his cheeks and proving that perhaps he was not such a man after all.<\/p>\n \u201cTake care, Joe. Write to us and let us know where you are, and how you are, won\u2019t\u2019cha?\u201d Hoss said, and forced a smile to his lips.<\/p>\n They embraced as brothers could, and slapped each others backs, as brothers would. Then they parted and Joe faced Adam who stepped forward and nodded at him, smiled and then put out an arm and drew him towards him, and held him close.<\/p>\n \u201cBe careful, Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure, sure – I\u2019ll write.\u201d Joe whispered, and bit down on his lips not wanting to look up into the face of the man he loved and respected so much.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll miss you,\u201d Adam said gruffly, \u201cAnd don\u2019t forget what I said last night, don\u2019t let your pride get in the way of your coming home.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh Adam, I – ,\u201dJoe paused, swallowed hard again, \u201cI want to thank you for being father and brother to me all these years. I want -.\u201d he stopped, thought his heart was going to stop beating, and shook his head.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019d best get going, Joe. The days a good one for travelling,\u201d Adam said softly and released him.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n Hop Sing watched from the window as Clay and Joe walked across the yard to their horses. Hank Myers and the other ranch hands were there, on their horses, ready to give Joe a proper cowboy send off.<\/p>\n He turned his eyes to where Marie stood on the porch, flanked by her step-sons, trying to look brave and happy. A happy mother. Good bye Joe\u2026see my smile \u2026 see how pleased I am to see you go \u2026 Goodbye my darling darling boy.<\/p>\n Hop Sing studied her face. He had loved her for many years now and would have walked over red hot coals for her. He knew she was suffering now and that her suffering would not end when Joe and Clay disappeared from view. He knew her heart was breaking.<\/p>\n He remembered the day Joe was born. The joy and excitement. Laughter. He remembered how she had told him that Adam had called her \u2018Ma\u2019 for the first time, and she had passed the little baby to him, for him to hold in his arms. It reminded him of the day he had held his own son, when he was in his own country years beforehand. He had loved Joe devotedly ever since.<\/p>\n Joe turned towards them, he was mounted on Cochise now, and he waved his hat in one hand and gave a whoop. Adam raised a hand and wondered, how could he be so excited now, surely he must realise how his mother is feeling. Hoss stood close to Marie, felt for her hand, and held it tightly in his own. Marie saw only a blurred image of two men on horseback, as fast as she blinked to be rid of the tears more of them filled her eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cYahoo\u2026\u201d Hank yelled and whooped<\/p>\n \u201cYahooooo\u201d whooped the other ranch hands<\/p>\n Guns were fired in the air, they wheeled their horses around and followed behind the two brothers, whooping and firing their guns in the air. \u201cHi, Adam. How are things at home? Is Marie missing her boy?\u201d Matt Fraser asked in a friendly manner when he met Adam in the Hardware Store several days after Joe\u2019s departure. Adam sighed and nodded<\/p>\n \u201cShe hasn\u2019t spoken much about it, Matt, but she\u2019s very quiet.\u201d he smiled over at Guppy, as the change dropped into his hand, \u201cShe misses them both obviously, but Joe, well, I don\u2019t think she will get over his leaving for a while to come yet.\u201d<\/p>\n He pocketed his money and walked to the door with Matt by his side and pulled the door open, the little bell rang as they closed it behind them. On the sidewalk he looked up and down the street, willing a black and white horse to appear with a lad in a green jacket in the saddle, but no amount of wishing could make that dream come true. He frowned and turned to look at Matt who was looking rather sombre,<\/p>\n \u201cYou know you\u2019re always welcome at the Ponderosa, Matt, don\u2019t be a stranger, will you? Ma needs her friends just now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll bear that -,\u201d Matt began but the sentence was halted as a tall thickset man thrust himself between him and Adam, grabbing the younger man by the jacket and hauling him forwards so that their faces were only inches apart,<\/p>\n \u201cIs it true what I\u2019ve heard? Is it?\u201d Zedekiah Murphy yelled, clenching his free fist and Adam moved his head as far back as he could, while with one hand he pushed himself free from Zedekiah\u2019s grasp.<\/p>\n \u201cThat depends on what you\u2019ve heard, doesn\u2019t it?\u201d Adam ground the words out through gritted teeth. The man reeked of drink, his breath was foul, and it was obvious that he had difficulty keeping on his feet, \u201cWhy don\u2019t you go home, Zedekiah, and drink the booze off.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhere is he then? That skunk of a brother of yours?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhich one \u2026brother, I mean?\u201d Adam asked, although he already knew full well what the answer was going to be, but hoping that the man would fall down before the conversation became too involved.<\/p>\n \u201cThat skunk of a card sharp you\u2019ve been hiding up thar in the Ponderosa? Clay whats-is-name?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI really don\u2019t think -.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t you?\u201d Murphy lunged forward, and swung his fist, but it never reached it\u2019s intended target as he wrist was gripped firmly in a grasp far stronger than his own. Hoss Cartwright wrenched the man\u2019s arm back, making Zedekiah stagger against the wall of the Hardware Store as the momentum and his drunken state propelled him forwards.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s the matter with him?\u201d Hoss asked, pushing Murphy away and stepping up beside Adam.<\/p>\n \u201cHe wanted to know where Clay happened to be, I don\u2019t think he\u2019d believe me if I told him the truth, which is that I don\u2019t rightly know just now.\u201d Adam rubbed his hands together and pulled up the collar of his jacket, \u201cLet\u2019s get into the warm. It\u2019s getting colder than ever standing right here.\u201d<\/p>\n Murphy hauled himself up to his feet, and leaned against the wall. Everything was blurred before him, and in his head everything was blurred as well. He shook himself, but the only thing that happened was tiny lights skimmed across his eyes like so many fireflies. He realised he was going to be sick, and slid away to the alley. \u201cIt\u2019s early days yet, Ma.\u201d Hoss said consolingly.<\/p>\n \u201cGive him time. He\u2019ll get to writing when he has something to write about, Ma.\u201d Adam smiled, \u201cHe\u2019s young and caught up in the adventure of it all. He\u2019ll write soon.\u201d and he leaned forward and kissed her cheek, \u201cI saw Matt in town. He sends his regards. I told him he was always welcome.\u201d he glanced over at her, and frowned, \u201cThat was alright, wasn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course, Adam. It\u2019s up to you who you invite.\u201d she said with a sigh, and turned away.<\/p>\n Hoss and Adam looked at one another, and Hoss shook his head as he watched Marie go into the little room that was her private sitting room,<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s really lost without him, ain\u2019t she?\u201d he said in a low voice.<\/p>\n \u201cMmm, she must be feeling really bad,\u201d Adam observed as he unbuckled his gun belt, \u201cShe hasn\u2019t even baked a cake since Joe left.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, that\u2019s odd ain\u2019t it? I ain\u2019t never known her not bake when she\u2019s upset.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo you think we should get Paul to come and visit her?\u201d Adam chewed on his bottom lip, \u201cWomen feel things differently to us, don\u2019t they?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know, do they?\u201d Hoss grimaced and glanced over at the door leading to Marie\u2019s little room.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Adam followed his brother\u2019s gaze, and shook his head, \u201cI don\u2019t know enough women that well to judge.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen perhaps we should get the doc in just to make sure she\u2019s alright.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam walked to his chair and sat down. He looked at the table where the checker board was set out ready for the game he and Hoss were going to play the previous evening. He leaned forward and picked up a checker, stared at the board and then put the checker back down.<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s not alright, and we know the reason why. It\u2019s the same reason that\u2019s making us both feel that there\u2019s no point to it all,\u201d and he pushed the checker board aside with such force that it fell from the table, scattering the checkers across the floor.<\/p>\n \u201cWeren\u2019t no call to do that,\u201d Hoss muttered, \u201cNow it\u2019s going to take me forever to find the darn things again.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam said nothing, but closed his eyes, stretched his arms up to the ceiling and leaned back against the chair rest. He folded his arms behind his head and kept his eyes closed so that he didn\u2019t have to watch Hoss scrabbling around to find the checkers. He wished he could close off his ears to switch off Hoss\u2019 grumbling as well.<\/p>\n It had been a miserable week. The weather was turning colder. He had been forced to write to Sacremento and tell the company there that their enquiry could not be looked into at the present time as winter was approaching and other commitments had to be met. It meant that the Ponderosa would lose a significant contract. He frowned. Not that that was the most important thing in life just now. The whole mood in the house since Joe had left had been very melancholy and sombre. He wished he had been more forceful with Joe and Clay as well, insisting that they stayed until Spring at least. It really had been a stupid idea to let them go right on the brink of the first winter storms.<\/p>\n Marie had tried to lift herself out of her lethargy, but it was not easy. She seemed to be hemmed in with memories that haunted her sleep, and made night times even harder to bear. No matter how she tried to convince herself that Joe would come home soon, every day seemed to emphasise the fact that he was not there. Just a week but already it seemed like so much more.<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n Joe tossed another piece of wood onto the fire and stared into the flames and embers. Clay was already sleeping, his blanket drawn up to his chin and his hat over his face. The wind had died down a little but not enough to prevent Joe feeling chilled to the bone. Placerville brought back memories of previous visits with Adam and Hoss. It wasn\u2019t very big at that time, but it was growing. He told Clay of some of their previous visits, and Clay had listened for a while and then said,<\/p>\n \u201cJoe, memories are always there when you need \u2018em, but you have to be careful that they don\u2019t become little hooks to draw you back into the past and make you miserable with what you\u2019re doing in the present.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe could see what he was getting at and held his tongue. As the days progressed however, he did wonder why Clay assumed his brother would be so interested in what he had to tell him about people he didn\u2019t know back in New Orleans.<\/p>\n He missed Hoss when they were camping like this\u2026 missed how good at hunting rabbits Hoss was, and how they would joke and mess around, and then how Hoss would snore. Joe smiled to himself, he never thought he would reach the day when he missed Hoss snoring.<\/p>\n He rolled himself up in his bedroll and stared into the flames. It had been harder than he had realised, leaving the Ponderosa. He had paused several times to look over the views. Each one of them held a precious memory, some of Ben, most with Adam and Hoss. Overlooking Lake Tahoe had brought back the poignant memory of Marie and Ben with him \u2026he swallowed the lump in his throat and closed his eyes. Best not to think about it. Hooks hurt \u2026<\/p>\n Chapter 130<\/p>\n The saloon was full of smoke from cigarettes and cigars, pipes and a blocked flue from the wood burning stove that stood at the far end of the room. It was an inauspicious little township, more of a settlement than anything else, but it had a few stores and this one saloon.<\/p>\n It was packed with men, and like all saloons the men came in various sizes, with a variety of jobs. Miners, prospectors, store keepers rubbed shoulders, or elbows, with the likes of the towns deputy, a doctor and the school teacher. Joe elbowed his way to the counter and ordered their drinks. They arrived in decidedly greasy dirty glasses with chips in the rims.<\/p>\n \u201cNot the most attractive place, is it?\u201d Clay muttered as he finally succeeded in wedging himself in between two burly miners.<\/p>\n \u201cNot when compared to the Sazarac,\u201d Joe replied, pushing Clay\u2019s drink over to him. He looked around and saw nothing but bodies. There didn\u2019t even seem room enough for a few saloon girls.<\/p>\n \u201cIs it always this packed?\u201d Clay asked the miner standing next to him.<\/p>\n \u201cNope, not usually.\u201d was the reply, \u201cThere\u2019s a big game on this evening, that\u2019s what\u2019s drawn the crowds in, apart from the cold.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d the miner on the other side of Clay leaned forward, \u201cThey\u2019ve got a professional gambler arrived from back East. There\u2019s big money riding on some of our local boys, but I\u2019ve put my money of the professional.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe felt his heart sink. He was cold and tired. He would have loved a warm comfortable bed, after having eaten a really good meal, instead of being almost physically and literally stuck in this place. He looked over at Clay and saw the look on his face and knew that the only thing on his brother\u2019s mind now was getting in on that card game. He looked away and sipped his drink.<\/p>\n \u201cAnyplace a man can get a decent meal hereabouts?\u201d he asked the barman, who surveyed the dirty ceiling for a moment and then nodded slowly,<\/p>\n \u201cMrs O\u2019Kelly will cook you a good meal, and give you a bed for the night, young \u2018un,\u201d came the reply, \u201cShe doesn\u2019t charge much either.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhere can I find her?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTurn left when you leave here. Three doors down the road. Knock and tell the girl I sent you \u2026 Bill Hancock.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe nodded and looked over at Clay, and told him about Mrs O\u2019Kelly. Clay nodded, looked thoughtful and suggested to Joe that he should find Mrs O\u2019Kelly and get a meal ordered for them both, and a room. He concluded by saying he would join Joe later.<\/p>\n Joe knew that in all probability Clay would not be seen until the game ended, and if all these people had come to see a good session, then it was obviously not going to be finished within the next hour. He finished his drink, thanked Bill Hancock and elbowed his way out of the saloon.<\/p>\n The air was colder than ever and embraced him with a vigour that was far from pleasant. He hurried in the direction Bill had said, and was soon knocking on the door of a reasonably new building. A girl of thirteen or thereabouts opened the door, and peered up at him,<\/p>\n \u201cIs this Mrs O\u2019Kelly\u2019s house?\u201d he asked, looking down at the girl.<\/p>\n \u201cYes. Who are you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m Joseph Cartwright. Mr Hancock told me that your mother provides food and lodgings?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d the girl stepped aside to admit him, and then ran along the corridor to a big well lit room at the rear shouting \u201cMa, Ma, there\u2019s a man here says he wants food and a bed for the night.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe took off his hat and ran his fingers through his hair, and hoped that he didn\u2019t look too rough and unkempt. There were some tantalizing smells coming from the kitchen now, and he knew that his stomach would protest violently if Mrs O\u2019Kelly decided that he was not the kind of customer she wanted in her home.<\/p>\n \u201cYes? Erin said you wanted a meal and bed for the night?\u201d<\/p>\n She walked down the corridor drying her hands on a cloth, and looking at him with big brown eyes set in a homely face and with her hair tied back neatly. She looked at him and frowned,<\/p>\n \u201cWhere are you from?\u201d she asked, a slight Irish accent giving her voice a lilt that was warm and pleasant.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Ponderosa, Nevada. I\u2019m Joseph Cartwright, Ma\u2019am.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve heard of the Ponderosa. Ben Cartwright\u2019s place, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Ma\u2019am, he was my Pa. He was killed some years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d she looked at him, and he could see she meant the words and was not trotting them out as a mere courtesy, then she smiled rather shyly, \u201cCome on in. It\u2019s beef stew and dumplings tonight. Is it just yourself?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy brother, but he\u2019ll no doubt come later.\u201d Joe said reluctantly.<\/p>\n He was in the big room now and looked about him with pleasure. It was like her, warm and homely. Erin was setting down plates on the table, all the while looking at him. There was a boy stirring something in a bit pot on the stove, no more than 10 Joe assumed; a smaller child of indeterminate age sat on a chair viewing Joe with the curiosity of the young.<\/p>\n \u201cChildren, this is Mr Joe Cartwright from the Ponderosa. He\u2019s travelled a long way so he\u2019ll be tired. Mr Cartwright,\u201d she smiled at him, \u201cWhy not take off your jacket. Erin, take Mr Cartwright to his room. Sean, why not get some hot water for Mr Cartwright so he can wash and shave before he eats.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, Ma\u2019am, it\u2019s much appreciated.\u201d Joe said, and followed the two children through the corridor and up some stairs to a door which when opened provided him with a fair sized room with two beds in it.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can sleep here,\u201d Erin indicated one of the beds, \u201cit\u2019s the best one. The other one has a spring broken in it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHas it?\u201d Joe smiled, and put his coat down with his hat on the \u2018best\u2019 bed. It was sparsely furnished, but what was there was in good condition, and pleasantly set out.<\/p>\n \u201cSean, have you the hot water?\u201d Erin asked, looking at her brother with the air of superiority and when he nodded and struggled in with a jug of hot water, she pointed to the dresser upon which was set a china bowl and jug. \u201cThere\u2019s a towel there too, Mister.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCall me Joe.\u201d he smiled at her and Sean, and the two surveyed him seriously, nodded, and then quickly left the room.<\/p>\n She was back five minutes later knocking on the door to tell him the meal would be ready within the next ten minutes.<\/p>\n Joe flexed his shoulders and then stretched. It was good to be in a decent house again. Once again he found himself regretting that he had left home before the winter had arrived, it would have been far more sensible to have waited until spring. He washed thoroughly, and shaved quickly. By the time Mrs O\u2019Kelly was serving up the stew he was seated at the table with the children and two other guests.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll set aside the meal for your brother,\u201d Mrs O\u2019Kelly said with a smile, and ladled out a good hearty portion of beef stew with well cut vegetables and thick fluffy dumplings. Joe knew that Hoss would have been drooling at the sight of it.<\/p>\n During the meal Joe learned that the settlement was less than three years old, but people were still arriving and so new buildings, new businesses were being built all the time. There was talk of the railway coming through in a few years time. It was just talk, but it made the newcomers feel that there was hope of the settlement becoming a real township eventually. An hour ticked by. One of the men had left the table and asked Joe to mind his hand. Joe, rather nervously, did so having got the mans promise that he would return within a few minutes. It was a good hand, not good enough to win unless Joe could pull something out of the bag. He dithered and looked up just as Clay had his turn to play.<\/p>\n \u201cJust put that card back where you had it, Mister,\u201d the professional gambler, James Conroy, said harshly.<\/p>\n Joe blinked, not content with the challenge in his voice, Conroy had pulled a gun on Clay, and Clay had frozen.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd you can put the gun back where you had it, Mister,\u201d Joe said, surprised that he could actually get the words out.<\/p>\n Conroy turned to look at Joe and his eyes widened as he saw Joe\u2019s gun in his hand. He looked from Clay to Joe and then back again.<\/p>\n \u201cWorking together are you?\u201d Conroy snarled, putting his gun away slowly.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t like people calling my brother a cheat, Mister.\u201d Joe replied, still with the gun in his hand.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t like being cheated on, sonny.\u201d Conroy replied, \u201cAnd your brother is a cheat.\u201d<\/p>\n Clay leaned back in his chair and looked around the table,<\/p>\n \u201cAnyone else of that opinion?\u201d he said in a silky tone of voice and with a contemptuous smile on his lips.<\/p>\n \u201cI never saw nothing,\u201d one man said, \u201cSo you can keep me out of this.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMe neither.\u201d another scowled at Conroy, as though it was all his fault that the game had been interrupted.<\/p>\n The man for whom Joe had been holding the cards returned, nodded at Joe and then frowned at the sight of the gun in the young man\u2019s hand,<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s going on?\u201d he asked, chewing the butt of his cigar round and round between his teeth as he spoke.<\/p>\n \u201cMr Conroy accused me of cheating.\u201d Clay replied, \u201cBut, I can assure you, I\u2019m no cheat.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s good,\u201d Joe\u2019s man sat down and picked up his cards, \u201cThen shall we recommence the game?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI ain\u2019t playing with no cheat sitting in on the game.\u201d Conroy snarled.<\/p>\n \u201cPerhaps I should leave then,\u201d Clay said politely and half rose, but the other man waved him to sit back down again, and told him to stay put.<\/p>\n \u201cConroy, just play. There\u2019s too much riding on this game to mess around now. Mr Stafford, if you don\u2019t mind, let\u2019s see your hand?\u201d<\/p>\n It was a good hand but not as good as Conroys. There was a murmur around the room.<\/p>\n \u201cShall we resume play now? Mr Jackson, it\u2019s your deal.\u201d Joe\u2019s man, Mr Davidson, said and nodded over to Mr Jackson. \u201cI suggest we use a new pack if you gentlemen wouldn\u2019t mind?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe looked at Clay and raised his eyebrows, but Clay merely smiled and shrugged, and remained where he intended to stay. Knowing where he would rather be, Joe turned, and made his way back out of the saloon and out into the cold night air.<\/p>\n Mrs O\u2019Kelly made him a nightcap of hot chocolate, almost as good as Hop Sings. He took it to the room with him and sat on the edge of the bed. As he nursed the hot cup between his hands he thought over the incident at the card table. He remembered Adams words about not being too proud to return home. He had never felt so miserable nor so disappointed, because, like Mr Conroy, he had seen where Clay was going to produce his card, and he knew that Clay had every intention to cheat in order to win.<\/p>\n Chapter 131<\/p>\n \u201cYou cheated.\u201d Joe said as soon as Clay walked through the door of the room, \u201cI saw you, Clay. I saw you cheat.\u201d his voice was steadier than he had thought it would be as his disappointment was deep and raw. He looked his brother in the eyes and received a long appraising look from Clay in return,<\/p>\n \u201cLook, Joe, one thing you have to understand about life away from the Ponderosa is that Joe watched as Clay blithely divested himself of his clothes and began to wash in the hot water that Mrs O\u2019Kelly had sent up to their room earlier.<\/p>\n \u201cBut they weren\u2019t cheating, Clay.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t you believe it, little brother. The whole thing was a scam between Conroy and the guy who gave you his cards to hold. He came back with a new pack, didn\u2019t he? The cards were marked. They accused me of cheating because they knew I was onto their game and wanted me out.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey accused you of cheating because that\u2019s what you were doing, Clay.\u201d Joe frowned, ignoring the ethics according to Clay Stafford, and falling back on his own.<\/p>\n Clay turned around and regarded Joe thoughtfully,<\/p>\n \u201cHaven\u2019t you ever cheated in your life before, Little Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe looked at him thoughtfully, \u201cNot at cards, no\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s why everyone knows you always lose and like playing with you,\u201d Clay laughed, \u201cI bet your brothers have done in their time.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe shook his head, \u201cI don\u2019t think so. Hoss is too honest and Adam always feels if you have to cheat to win then you shouldn\u2019t play.\u201d<\/p>\n Clay sighed, shrugged, and threw himself into the bed. It sagged alarmingly. He thumped the pillow into a shape to become more comfortable, and then looked over at Joe,<\/p>\n \u201cI sure hope you\u2019re not going to become tedious, Little Joe. I get bored easily, you know.\u201d he drawled the words slowly, and then turned his back on his brother, and closed his eyes.<\/p>\n Joe got into the bed and curled himself into a ball. They hadn\u2019t even reached Mexico yet, and already he was realising that Clay was a far different brother to the two he had left home at the Ponderosa.<\/p>\n But the fact remained that Clay had cheated, which made Joe wonder just how many other times had he done so. In Texas, perhaps? He closed his eyes and tried to sleep.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n The snow arrived six weeks after Joe had left the Ponderosa. The morning had dawned bright and sunny, and although there had been talk of snow at sometime shortly, no one had indicated that it would arrive that day. She had decided to take the buggy and go to Ben\u2019s grave. She needed some solace, some where that provided her with some continuity.<\/p>\n Now she urged the horse to go faster. The snow was falling so fast that familiar landmarks were losing their identity. She was glad she had wrapped herself up warmly, but even so it did not stop the cold creeping about her. Now the snow was falling so fast and thickly that the wheels were getting clogged up, preventing them from turning so that she would skid across the track at times. If she did not reach home soon she knew that she could be in serious danger.<\/p>\n \u2026..<\/p>\n \u201cAnyone home?\u201d Adam called out to the empty room as he stepped inside. He had beaten the snow from his clothes before opening the door, and now divested himself of them. He smiled as he heard a clatter in the kitchen, indicative of Hop Sings presence, and he sniffed the air. Something good was cooking for supper.<\/p>\n He looked up as Hoss came downstairs. He looked anxious and his thinning hair seemed to be standing up on end. Marie said he could blame his Viking forebears for this, as it definitely did not come through Ben\u2019s side of the family. He took it in his stride, after all, as he said, he was bigger than most, heavier than most, so why not be balder than most\u2026 in his age group anyway.<\/p>\n \u201cHave you seen Ma?\u201d he asked his brother who was bending down to untie the leather throng from his holster<\/p>\n \u201cNo. I\u2019ve just got in, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHop Sing said he didn\u2019t know she had left the house. He doesn\u2019t know where she\u2019s gone.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam frowned, and pursed his lips, before looking at Hoss sharply,<\/p>\n \u201cShe should be home. This snow isn\u2019t going to stop for sometime.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShould we go and look for her, Adam? I\u2019m really worried about her.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo am I,\u201d Adam replied, and reached for his coat.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n The snow was beginning to obscure her vision now. The horse was doing its best but the buggy wheels kept locking due to the snowfall. More than once she had had to clamber down to free them with her gloved hands. She looked about her for some idea as to where she could be and was about to clamber down from the buggy to free up the wheels when the horse moved forward with a lurch, the buggy skidded, and she was thrown down into the snow drift.<\/p>\n Chapter 132 \u201cBen?\u201d she whispered, and closed her eyes.<\/p>\n The sky was darker than ever now although obscured by the snow. She could hear, above her head, his breathing, and the squeak of snow as he walked, placing each foot into new fresh snow and pressing it down into a firm footprint.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s no good, Adam,\u201d Hoss said as he peered narrow eyed through the veil of snowflakes, \u201cI can\u2019t see a doggone thing through this snow. It\u2019s falling so fast that any prints would be covered almost instantly.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you suggest then?\u201d Adam replied, looking at his brother and just managing to discern the whitening shape of him as he approached him on Chubb.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m frightened to suggest anything, truth be told,\u201d Hoss replied, \u201cI don\u2019t want to leave Ma in this, but if we don\u2019t get back ourselves now, we\u2019re going to be in big trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam slumped down in his saddle, and looked all around him. Then he put his gloved hands around his mouth and shouted her name \u201cMARIE. MARIE\u201d There was no sound. Only that of the horses chomping on their bits, anxious to move on. The darkening sky was closing in on them now, the snow fell steadily, mercilessly, and there was total silence.<\/p>\n \u201cIf we only knew where she could have gone.\u201d he groaned, and bowed his head in an attempt to think whereabouts she would have gone in the buggy. \u201cWho would she visit? In town, perhaps? Do you think she would have gone to see Matt?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe thing is, Adam, she would have had no more idea of this snow coming than we did. It\u2019s just dumping down. No wind at all, just snow.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMARIE. MARIE\u201d Adam and Hoss strained their ears to hear a response, but there was nothing. Even Sport and Chubb had pricked their ears forwards but if they heard anything they weren\u2019t going to tell.<\/p>\n \u201cI reckon she would have gone to see Matt.\u201d Hoss said resolutely, \u201cIn which case she\u2019s probably decided to stay put, seeing the weathers as it is.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhoever she\u2019s been to visit, I sure hope you\u2019re right and she\u2019s stayed put.\u201d Adam turned Sport\u2019s head, \u201cOnce the snow stops falling we\u2019ll look again. It might be a good idea to get some men out to form a posse. We may need to fan out a bit.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss said nothing to that, but he thought it sounded as though Adam feared the worse. He gave his brother a searching look as he passed him, but Adam\u2019s face was blanked off, whatever he was thinking he was keeping to himself.<\/p>\n ********<\/p>\n \u201c Dr Martin!\u201d Jessie Miller exclaimed as she pulled open the door, \u201cLordy, who have you got there?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s Mrs Cartwright, Jessie. She\u2019s had an accident. Good thing I\u2019d been here to see to Frank\u2019s leg as our paths crossed and I found her in the snow.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHurry, bring her in, bring her here to the bed.\u201d Jessie waved a hand towards the truckle bed in the corner of the room, and upon this Paul Martin gently placed Marie.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll get something warm for her. This snow came on so suddenly, Dr Martin, we wondered if you would have to come back. I started to boil up the kettle just in case.\u201d she moved to a side door and pushed it open, \u201cFrank, Dr Martin is here, with Mrs Cartwright. She\u2019s been hurt.\u201d having delivered the message she returned to the stove and began to get out cups, \u201cIs she badly hurt, Dr Martin?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I can\u2019t see anything damaged at all. She was well wrapped up, and the snow would have cushioned her fall anyway. I don\u2019t know how long she was there, of course, so she could be suffering from the cold. She could have got to that point of being so cold that she went to sleep, and that\u2019s when the lungs start to freeze up \u2026\u201d he leaned forwards, looking into the white, still face, and then he rubbed her hands, \u201cShe\u2019s very cold, Jessie. We need more blankets\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll heat a stone,\u201d Jessie said, and placed a stone in the fire. Once it was hot enough she hauled it out of the fire with some tongs and wrapped it in a cloth, and then hurried over to the bed and placed it by Marie\u2019s feet. \u201cOh Lordy, she looks deathly pale.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow is she doing?\u201d came a disembodied voice from the other room.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll go and tell Frank \u2026\u201d Jessie whispered and promptly disappeared.<\/p>\n \u201cMarie? Marie? Can you hear me. Come now, my dear, it\u2019s time to wake up.\u201d Paul said softly, his kindly face looking down at her and his eyes searching for some sign that she was recovering, or at least, on the way to recovery.<\/p>\n Marie heard her name being called as though it was from a long, long way away. She sighed, whispered Ben\u2019s name, and drifted into a dream where she and Ben were walking together through a field full of wild flowers, the sun was shining and the sky was blue. It was perfect. She could hear the sound of children laughing, her children. She looked at Ben and reached out to touch his face.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s alright, Marie, you\u2019re safe,\u201d Paul said quietly, taking hold of the limp hand that had reached out towards him even though she remained asleep.<\/p>\n \u201cSafe?\u201d she whispered as she walked with Ben in the field. She saw Joe running to her, his hair all curls and his hazel eyes twinkling, he was laughing and held out his hands towards her, \u201cJoe.\u201d and she smiled, and the child drew nearer, and then stood before her as the Joe she had last seen ride away from her, and suddenly the fields disappeared and all she could see was her Joe, riding away from her, \u201cOh Joe \u2026\u201d she whispered, \u201cDon\u2019t go.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHere\u2019s something hot for her to drink,\u201d Jessie said, pushing a cup of tea into Paul\u2019s hands, \u201cI\u2019ve put yours here on the table,\u201d she indicated a small table and then withdrew, back to her Frank.<\/p>\n There was some colour in the cheeks now, and Paul could see her eyes moving beneath the eyelids, a good sign that the brain was active, and that she was no doubt dreaming. He pulled the blankets further up, and continued to rub her hands.<\/p>\n Oh how lovely she was, her long lashes formed spidery shadows upon her cheeks, and her lips, so prettily formed, were becoming pinker, moister once again. He rubbed her hands and raised one to his lips, which he gently kissed, for the dear Doctor had loved Marie Cartwright loyally for a long time.<\/p>\n Chapter 133 Earlier in the evening he had checked on Frank\u2019s leg and redressed it. It had been a bad break, which happens when one clambers up a hayloft and then misses one\u2019s footing on the ladder on the way down. Frank ended up in the, thankfully, empty stall of his stables faster than he had ever before. The Miller\u2019s son had been despatched to town to get Paul, and had stayed there to meet with some friends. Now Paul could only thank a benevolent God for having directed him into Marie\u2019s path, and to have saved her from what would have been certain death.<\/p>\n Now she slept. Once or twice since he had brought her into the Miller\u2019s house she had opened her eyes and looked around her, then slipped back into oblivion. Once she had called out for Joseph, and Paul had noticed a tear slip from under her eyelashes as she had cried out for her son. He had gently stroked back her hair, and if Jessie thought that was carrying his bedside manner a bit too far, then perhaps she was right.<\/p>\n He sat now in the dim light of the room with a mug of coffee between his hands, close to the truckle bed that was no doubt belonging to the Miller\u2019s son, Jethro. The flames from the fire sent shadows flitting around the room, and the aroma of coffee was still pleasant to the senses. Paul Martin sat and drifted back in time as he thought of his friendship with the Cartwrights.<\/p>\n He had delivered Joseph after having moved into Virginia City not many months before hand. Of course, it was not known as Virginia City then, but was Eagle Station or The Washoe. Ben and he had built up a rapport from that time onwards which was no doubt a good thing considering the number of times he was called out to tend to the three Cartwright boys. He used to joke that if every family were like them he could retire in ten years.<\/p>\n But then Ben had been killed. That had shocked them all in the township. To them Ben Cartwright was a hero and invincible. Paul could recall now the intense sense of loss, and frustration he had felt as he had looked down at Ben\u2019s body. There had been nothing he could have done, the hero had fallen to bullets and died before he had hit the ground. It had been Adam who had borne the worse of the horror, having to lift his father\u2019s body back onto the saddle and then bring him home, a 17 year old youth gritting his teeth against the pain of his own wounds all the while.<\/p>\n Even now, as he sat there beside Marie\u2019s bed, sipping at the hot coffee, he could recall the boys anguish. Brave while the doctor extracted the bullet in his shoulder, but crying hot tears when he recounted to the sheriff what had happened to them. Paul rightly assumed the tears were partly from feelings of guilt that he had survived the ambush but had been unable to save his father.<\/p>\n He could not exactly pin point the moment he realised when he had fallen in love with Marie. He had always liked her for she was the perfect wife for Ben, and he had enjoyed seeing them together. She was witty and intelligent, and made Ben laugh, and that had been a pleasure to see.<\/p>\n As the years of her widowhood had stretched on, he had grown to respect her more each passing year. His visits to the Ponderosa to patch up one or other of the boys was still pretty regular, and he had laughed when she had said rather cynically one day that it would probably save a lot of time if he just moved his office and surgery to the Ponderosa.<\/p>\n Of course she had been joking. But it was a joke that made him realise how much she had come to mean to him. If a month passed without his visiting the Ponderosa he found himself looking at the calendar to see just how much longer it would be before he could think of some excuse to visit\u2026 just in case there was a cracked head or broken rib that needed some attention (so he said).<\/p>\n Perhaps it was just before David Carter had become really involved with Marie. Perhaps when he had noticed them in town together, and felt the stirrings of emotions within himself that he had to come to terms with \u2026 he had felt intense envy of the relaxed casual manner in which the two of them could talk and – yes – flirt together. He had been jealous whenever he had seen them walking in town together. He had even felt some anger that she could so quickly become besotted with a stranger when there had been others, loyal friends, who would have welcomed her attentions.<\/p>\n There was Matt Fraser for example. Paul took a good gulp of coffee at the thought of Matt. Like himself, Matt had been a good friend to Ben, perhaps, because of Gwen, they had been closer that he himself had been, but the friendship was there, and Matt had always been helpful and supportive to the family when Ben had been killed.<\/p>\n He could remember, and he felt a bit guilty at the memory, a time when Matt had got rather a little more inebriated that intended at one social, and had told Paul how much he had cared for Marie. The good doctor had suggested that Matt tell her, be open and honest about it he had said, and the result was that Marie had been forced to gently tell the rancher that she still loved Ben too much to consider anyone else for a husband, thanks all the same but \u2026!<\/p>\n Paul shook his head, poor Matt. He had lost all resolve from then onwards, and it was obvious to all that he still cared as his eyes would follow Marie around a room like a puppy dogs. Paul swallowed down more coffee, and hoped that he did not look like that himself now.<\/p>\n The woman in the bed stirred. Immediately Paul put down the cup, and leaned forwards, putting a cool hand on her brow. She had a temperature, of that there was no doubt, but there seemed no further indication of any other problem. She opened her eyes at this point, and looked up at him. For a second or two her eyes focused upon his face, met his eyes and then she smiled.<\/p>\n \u201cPaul? What are you doing here?\u201d she whispered, then she looked about her, \u201cWhere exactly am I?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2018re at Frank and Jessie Millers. I found you in the snow and brought you here, Marie. It was the closest place I could find.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWas I in the snow? How did I get there?\u201d she put out a hand \u201cHelp me, Paul, I need to sit up. Can I smell coffee?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou can, here – take my arm; there now, are you comfortable? I\u2019ll make you some coffee. It won\u2019t take a moment.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut how did you find me if I was in the snow, Paul?\u201d she asked his retreating back, and he turned to look at her over his shoulder and smiled,<\/p>\n \u201cI had to check on Frank, he\u2019d broken his leg. I was on the way back to town when I came across you in a snowdrift. I haven\u2019t any idea where your buggy and horse got to, but as the Millers were not to far, I brought you here. Now then, my dear,\u201d he resumed his seat and handed her the coffee, \u201cdrink this while it\u2019s hot. I don\u2019t think I need prescribe you any other medication except rest and warmth.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, thank you, Doctor,\u201d she smiled over the rim of her cup at him, and inhaled the aroma before sipping some of the dark brown liquid.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat were you doing out in this weather, Marie? I can hardly believe that the boys would have thought it advisable.\u201d Paul smiled, and nodded, and agreed that it could not be easy. He realised at that moment how Matt Fraser had felt when she had rebuffed his proposal, and he sighed.<\/p>\n \u201cIs it still snowing, Paul?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt would hardly matter if it were or not, Marie. It\u2019s pitch black out there.\u201d he took her cup from her and took both of them to the washing up area of the Millers rather cramped kitchen \u201cWould you like something to eat, Marie? Jessie has some soda bread here if you wish?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo thank you\u201d Marie leaned back against the cushions, and for a few moments stared up at the ceiling. \u201cPaul, do you think it will be snowing in Mexico?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMexico? I don\u2019t know, my dear, it\u2019s some distance from here, so maybe in a day or two the snow will reach them, although there\u2019s no guarantee of it. The way it\u2019s falling here I rather think we\u2019re getting it all dumped on us. Why do you ask?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s where Joe and Clay are going, didn\u2019t you know?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI only knew that they had left the Ponderosa. Adam told me a few weeks ago but didn\u2019t say anymore than that as I was with a patient. Of course, with Joe gone it does rather reduce my visits to the Ponderosa drastically. Visiting him so often paid quite a few of my bills.\u201d<\/p>\n They both laughed quietly, in order not to disturb Jessie and Frank, but also because it seemed more natural to do so. The room was warm and the shadows thrown about the walls were enigmatic and rather pleasant. Marie felt warm and comfortable, physically tired, but the coffee had made her mentally alert. She looked over at Paul and smiled, then reached out a hand to touch his arm,<\/p>\n \u201cHave you not slept at all, Paul?\u201d she said softly.<\/p>\n \u201cNot while overseeing a patient -,\u201d he smiled, wondering if she realised what pleasure it was to him that she should feel so at ease with him so as to reach out a hand towards him like she had, and he placed a hand on top of hers very gently. \u201cAre you worried about Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI miss him dreadfully.\u201d she admitted, \u201cI love Adam and Hoss so much, and I have always thought I loved them the same, but truth be told, Paul, no mother can love the same way as they love their own. Or maybe I am wrong to say that, perhaps there are those women capable of loving all the same, but I am not one of them.\u201d she frowned having said that, and looked at him, \u201cDoes that make me a bad mother?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, just an honest one.\u201d he smiled.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was different when they were younger, of course. But now they are men, and feelings change, they grow and expand, don\u2019t they? My love for Hoss and Adam grows all the time and changes, but my love for Joseph it is always the same, and I am finding it so hard, Paul, so hard to let go of him. I feel he has gone from my life and I am afraid that I may never see him again.\u201d her lips trembled slightly, and she turned her head away so that he wouldn\u2019t see the tears.<\/p>\n \u201cWould you like some medication? I always carry a hip flask of brandy with me in case of emergencies, you know?\u201d and he pressed the fingers of her beneath his very tenderly.<\/p>\n She smiled and watched as he poured out two small doses of brandy, and like conspirators they sat in the room by the flickering firelight, sipping at it and smiling at one another, until she said she felt much better and gave a hic cough to prove it.<\/p>\n \u201cHow do you feel about Clay?\u201d he asked her, screwing the top onto his nearly empty hip flask.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, so many mixed feelings, which makes me ashamed again. I should love him like I love Joe perhaps? I don\u2019t know, Paul, he\u2019s my son, but he is a stranger to me, and worse still, he is a de Marigney.\u201d she sighed and shook her head, not realising that the last statement meant nothing to him at all, \u201cHe is like Joe in some ways, so obviously he must take after me a little, but he is so like Jean in other ways. I wish he had come here when he first knew Ben and I were married and lived here, then perhaps he would have settled down, and they would still be at home.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo you blame him for Joe\u2019s leaving?\u201d he asked in a gentle tone of voice.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, although he said it was Joe who suggested going, but Joe would never have thought to leave if it had not been Clays doing.\u201d she slipped down further into the blankets, and her eyelids grew heavy, she saw his face looking down at her and smiled drowsily, \u201cYou have such a kind face, Paul. Even if I didn\u2019t know it, I would know you were a doctor.\u201d her eyes closed, and like a child she was sleeping.<\/p>\n Paul watched her for some minutes and then got to his feet. He walked to the fire and placed some more fuel onto it. Looking out into the darkness he saw only his reflection staring back at him\u2026 a kind face? Praise indeed.<\/p>\n Chapter 134 \u201cIf you\u2019re cold, then think how Ma must be feeling.\u201d came the sharp retort as his brother leaned towards him to be heard above the sound of the now keening wind. His breath came in clouds of white mist, \u201cNow, save your breath and keep on looking.\u201d<\/p>\n They continued onwards, the horses plunging into the snow which at times sent them plummeting into snowdrifts chest high. Both men were exhausted for the search had continued on relentlessly. Breathing against the wind hurt their lungs and the cold air burned their eyes. Despite being warmly dressed for the weather the extra garments made them feel clumsy in their movements which hampered their progress.<\/p>\n \u201cAdam!\u201d<\/p>\n The sharp exclamation caused Adam to turn his horse sharply, too sharply for the weather conditions for Sport slipped sideways and both he and his master fell sideways on into the snow.<\/p>\n Hoss promptly dismounted from Chubb and hastened to his brother\u2019s assistance, only to be pushed away impatiently,<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s all the excitement about?\u201d Adam muttered, pulling on the reins to get Sport back onto his feet and hoping like anything that the animal was unhurt.<\/p>\n \u201cI found the buggy, but – no horse.\u201d Hoss said and pointed to the vehicle which was reclining in a rather inelegant manner against a rock. It was not smashed up, nor had any of the wheels been damaged. The brothers looked around it and then looked at one another.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you think Ma\u2019s -\u201d Hoss gulped \u201cin the buggy still?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOnly one way to find out,\u201d Adam said, and together they hauled on the vehicle until it bounced back onto its four wheel. It was full of snow, where the snow had drifted into it, and the canopy had been crushed, that much was now obvious. Of Marie there was no sign. \u201cWhat do you think happened to the horse?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, looks like it broke its traces, and this is the first snow of the winter so the wolves ain\u2019t hungry enough yet to attack it and eat it, bears are in hibernation, so I reckon if it had any sense it would be heading for home.\u201d Hoss didn\u2019t add that that was the destination he would prefer right then, but turned his head away to survey their surroundings. \u201cI reckon we need to find some shelter and get something hot inside of us, Adam, before we end up being no good to Ma even if we do find here this side of summer.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam nodded. Logic demanded rational action as the bitter cold and exhaustion were bad companions at times like this. He turned, like his brother, to look about him, and then nudged his brother\u2019s elbow,<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a line shack a few miles south of here. We can still look for Ma as we travel,\u201d and he remounted Sport and directed him southwards, closely followed by Hoss.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n Mrs O\u2019Kelly piled eggs onto the plates for her two lodgers, and Erin poured out the coffee. Joe thanked them both and sat down, while Clay looked out of the window and scowled at the sight of rain,<\/p>\n \u201cWorse kind of travelling weather,\u201d he muttered, as he sat down \u201cThanks, Ma\u2019am, this is<\/p>\n mighty welcome.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy pleasure.\u201d Mrs O\u2019Kelly replied with a smile, \u201cJust let me know if there is anything else you need.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin and Sean observed them both with that keen eyed embarrassing fascination in strangers that young children possess, and both men smiled at them,<\/p>\n \u201cSo what are you two going to be doing today?\u201d Joe asked, forking food into his mouth in a manner that would have made Hoss proud of him.<\/p>\n \u201cSchool\u201d came the reply, accompanied with a sigh.<\/p>\n \u201cMy sympathies.\u201d Joe commiserated, and smiled.<\/p>\n They turned and scampered out of the room, and could be heard in the adjoining room scuffling about, their shrill voices sharp in the silence of the house. Clay looked over at Joe, and frowned,<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry about last night, Joe. I didn\u2019t mean what I said.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s fine by me, Clay.\u201d Joe said quietly, \u201cWhat do you intend to do now? Carry on to Mexico?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot in this weather. That rain will soak us through before we reach the end of the main street. Best stay put here, if Mrs O\u2019Kelly doesn\u2019t object.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe nodded. It suited him well enough to stay in warm lodgings. He decided there and then to write to Marie and his brothers. The thought of them caused him to sigh deeply, and he put his fork down, and pushed away the plate. What, he wondered, would they be doing now? Had snow arrived yet? Had the black horse he\u2019d tamed been sold to Mr Hanratty as he had planned and for how much? Would Adam send him the money for it? He could answer that himself, knowing that his brother would indeed send him the money, and probably more besides. He\u2019d liked that black horse. It was full of pepper and had fought a good fight, but lost out in the end.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are you thinking about?\u201d Clay asked quietly, and Joe looked up and shrugged,<\/p>\n \u201cOh just how things would be at home.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re bound to miss them for a while, Joe.\u201d Clay said, pouring out more coffee, \u201cThat\u2019s part and parcel of life after all.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe looked at his brother and frowned. What did he know about it anyway, he asked himself. Clay had been away at school and not involved with home life, and what kind of home life was it anyway with just a fusty old lady rattling around an old house. It would have no resemblance to life on the Ponderosa, none whatsoever. It annoyed him, perhaps irrationally, that Clay could be so dismissive of what had been the most important thing in Joe\u2019s life. He had not even seemed to have appreciated the fact that Joe had sacrificed everything he knew to accompany him to Mexico \u2026 and in winter.<\/p>\n Mrs O\u2019Kelly bustled in and he asked her if it would suit her to have them as lodgers for a few more days, or, at least, until the weather improved. She smilingly agreed, hoped the room would suit them for that long and promised to provide Joe with writing materials in the room by the time he was finished with his meal.<\/p>\n Satisfied, Joe continued eating. Then he recalled the conversation he had had with her the previous evening,<\/p>\n \u201cMrs O\u2019Kelly, did you know my father at all?\u201d he asked, \u201cOnly the way you spoke about him, made me wonder.\u201d<\/p>\n She nodded as she folded a towel neatly from the pile she was sorting, and smiled slowly,<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a long time ago. My husband was in difficulties at the time, and your father helped. If it had not been for him, my husband could have been killed.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReally? What happened?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe were on a wagon train with your father and two little boys, whom I presume are your brothers. Perhaps you were one of them?\u201d she looked with a smile at Clay who shook his head, denying the fact quite emphatically, and Joe explained that Clay was actually his step-brother on his mother\u2019s side. They all laughed at the complications that this could lead too, and then Mrs O\u2019Kelly continued with her narrative.<\/p>\n It was a simple story of a man in the wrong place at the wrong time. A small hunting party of Shoshone and a lone man. Fair game as far as the Shoshone were concerned. Thankfully Ben was close at hand, heard the gun shots and went to Mr O\u2019Kelly\u2019s assistance. All was well, and both men were the heroes of the hour, although the wagon train leader called them both idiots having warned them all before setting out into Indian Territory that no one left the wagon train on their own.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were often curious as to what happened to your father and brothers. We did hear about the wonderful Ponderosa, of course, and that your father had remarried. But our own lives were very busy, and time takes its own toll.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo, where is Mr O\u2019Kelly now?\u201d Clay asked.<\/p>\n \u201cMy husband works for the railways. He\u2019s away at the moment doing survey work for them. I expect him back in the spring.\u201d she looked away, and Joe wondered whether or not she were pleased about her husband\u2019s enforced absence, she certainly didn\u2019t seem very upset by it.<\/p>\n The continued their meal in companionable silence, with Mrs O\u2019Kelly folding her washing neatly and chatting about nothing in particular. It was so homely that Joe felt a sickening longing for his mother and home deep in the pit of his stomach.<\/p>\n Chapter 135.<\/p>\n The cabin was far flimsier than they had expected it to be, and it leaned rather precariously, but it provided some shelter from the wind and had a reasonable chimney. The two brothers stumbled inside, slammed the door shut behind them, and began to build up a fire. \u201cI\u2019d rather have come out in this storm for nothing, than risk staying home and if she didn\u2019t come back, finding her frozen to death someplace.\u201d Adam replied, striking a match which he put to the kindling.\u201dAnyhow, we found the buggy, lost the horse and we can\u2019t find Ma. Now, I\u2019m worried sick about her as it is, so the sooner we thaw out we can get out there looking again.\u201d<\/p>\n They crouched down onto their haunches and watched the little flames lick the kindling greedily. Hoss gradually fed more wood to the pyre, and smiled as warmth began to seep into the air towards them.<\/p>\n \u201cMa hasn\u2019t been right since Joe left home, has she?\u201d he muttered, \u201cShe\u2019s been quiet and sad, almost as though she were in mourning again. Do you think Joe will come back, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam thought of Joe and of Clay and sighed, he shook his head,<\/p>\n \u201cI honestly don\u2019t know, Hoss. I\u2019d like to think he would.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDid you know that Zedekiah Murphy had disappeared from home the day before the storm?\u201d Hoss said quietly, holding his hands out to the flames.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I didn\u2019t. But why should that be a problem? Clay\u2019s been long gone from here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I guess so.\u201d<\/p>\n They crouched together, side by side, listening to the wind, thinking of their brother and the dangers he could be facing; and of Marie, and hoping above all else that she were safe.<\/p>\n \u201cMa could be home now, wondering where we are,\u201d Hoss sighed.<\/p>\n \u201cI hope so.\u201d came the reply.<\/p>\n *********<\/p>\n Paul Martin had checked over the buggy and his horse, and now returned to the house where Marie awaited him. Jessie had found a thick blanket and they had wrapped her in it so securely that she felt like an Egyptian mummy. Then he had lifted her off her feet and carried her to the buggy, and very gently placed her upon the bench seat.<\/p>\n During the fall from her buggy Marie had twisted an ankle and damaged the lower part of her back. It was very painful to stand, and quite impossible to walk. Once the storm had blown itself out, Jessie had made them something hot to eat, and drink, and then Paul had said he would take Marie home, so that she could get proper bed rest, and be cared for by Hop Sing.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll call by and see Frank in a few days time, Jessie.\u201d he called out as he sat down beside Marie on the seat, picked up the reins and with a wave of the hand, pulled away from the Miller\u2019s house.<\/p>\n \u201cYou are good, Paul, the way you cared for Frank and me,\u201d Marie said with a smile, looking up at him from her position beside him.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s my job,\u201d Paul replied, with a lift of the eyebrows, \u201cI get paid for looking after people who have broken their legs or fallen out of buggies.\u201d<\/p>\n He glanced down at her and saw that she looked a little crestfallen at the reply he had given her, he smiled then,<\/p>\n \u201cOf course, there are some patients that I don\u2019t mind giving particular attention to,\u201d he added with a slight shrug of the shoulders.<\/p>\n \u201cReally? Such as whom?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, Miss Jones for example.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAbigail Jones do you mean? But I thought she had an excellent constitution.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh yes, physically sound as a bell. But mentally and emotionally, sadly not.\u201d Paul sighed and frowned and concentrated on the track ahead, skilfully manouvring the buggy to avoid a snow drift.<\/p>\n \u201cBut why? What\u2019s wrong with her?\u201d Marie asked, drawing a little closer to him.<\/p>\n \u201cUnrequited love.\u201d he replied with a curt nod of the head.<\/p>\n \u201cUnrequited love?\u201d she repeated, \u201cBut who does she love then? Do I know them?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHim. There\u2019s only one man in Abigail\u2019s life.\u201d Paul replied, again with a smile.<\/p>\n \u201cPoor Abigail. And has this love been going on for a long time?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh yes, a long time.\u201d Paul said softly, thinking of poor Abigail and her passionate love for Adam Cartwright. Perhaps if she were the cool aloof person inside that she displayed to people on the outside, Abigail would not suffer quite as much, but sadly, inside she was a very passionate young woman.<\/p>\n Marie meanwhile remembered the constant little notes sent to the Ponderosa requesting Adam\u2019s help regarding Joe, Joe\u2019s conduct, his homework, his diction, his attitude, constant little letters that had Adam running around and all for what reason? Certainly not concern for Joe. It had been a bit of a laughing joke at home, but now she felt a twinge of pity and guilt about it all, and wished there were some way she could help the poor woman.<\/p>\n \u201cPaul, may I ask you a personal question?\u201d she said after a few moments had elapsed.<\/p>\n \u201cCertainly, but don\u2019t be offended if I don\u2019t like the question, and therefore don\u2019t offer a reply,\u201d he said, smiling down at her.<\/p>\n \u201cHave you ever been married?\u201d<\/p>\n He looked surprised at her asking, looked at her baffled and then turned away. Marie wondered if she had offended him after all, and was about to apologise when he began to speak,<\/p>\n \u201cI thought everyone knew. I was married, but my wife died in childbirth. That was what brought me here, to this wilderness, because I wanted to help other women who would otherwise give birth to their babies without any medical assistance at all. I didn\u2019t want another woman to die needlessly as my Meg had done.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd your child?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBorn too early. She died too. I believe it was a similar situation with Bens\u2019 first wife, Elizabeth?\u201d<\/p>\n She nodded. At that point Paul had to clamber down to knock away the snow from the wheels with the spade he had brought specifically for the purpose. He checked that the horse was alright to continue the journey, and then returned to his seat. He noticed that Marie was now leaning closer to him as they resumed the journey. Not that he objected, certainly not, it gave him a warm glow inside to think that there was some affection, perhaps respect, for him and their friendship.<\/p>\n \u201cI remember Ben telling me about it,\u201d Paul continued, \u201cIt seems Elizabeth was very frail for some time before the birth, and had a lot of bed rest. It was a difficult time for Ben. But, he had a son, and one he could be proud of, would be proud of even now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, he certainly would, and of all his sons.\u201d she said simply.<\/p>\n \u201cHave you ever thought, Marie, of remarrying?\u201d he asked, and then wondered how he had managed to actually say the words, but it just seemed so natural, so comfortable. To be so close in the buggy, driving through what amounted to a perfect winter wonderland, it just seemed the perfect time to ask.<\/p>\n She said nothing for a moment, and then looked at him,<\/p>\n \u201cI nearly did, remember?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, him! I didn\u2019t count him.\u201d Paul said comically, and then they were both laughing.<\/p>\n What a silly thing to laugh about, Marie thought. I could have married David, and I certainly wouldn\u2019t be laughing now if I had done. How could I have been so stupid and so weak? But she knew the reason why, because she wanted to be loved.<\/p>\n \u201cHave you ever thought of remarrying?\u201d she asked him without looking at him, but staring straight ahead at the way ahead of them where the trees boughs were laden low, heavy with snow, forming an archway for them to pass through.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I have.\u201d Paul replied honestly, \u201cMore so recently, although I know I am well past my prime now, and set in my ways, having lived a bachelor life for so long now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBen was also set in his ways when I met him. I thought him very arrogant. And a hard man. But then, I got to see the real Ben, and to know that he was not wanting to love again, in case he got hurt once more.\u201d she sighed, and instinctively drew closer to Paul, their thighs touched – although of course, the thick blanket and their coats ensured it was not really anything physical that touched, \u201cDo you remember the day Joe was born, Paul?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, of course I do. Such a tiny scrap, I was terrified that he would not survive the birth, and the following days proved to be quite traumatic. I remember seeing Ben in tears, and shed some along with him as well, wondering if Little Joe would die, just like my little Ruthanne.\u201d<\/p>\n Again they lapsed into silence, and he clambered down to free up the wheels that had got locked with the snow. The horse had to be attended to, as its breath had frozen over its nostrils, and Paul had to rub its face and free it. He thought how early winter had arrived that year, and how severe a winter were they going to have ahead of them.<\/p>\n \u201cI hope Little Joe is alright, wherever he is,\u201d he said quietly, \u201cI was just wondering, with this weather that we\u2019ve got if they would not have been wiser waiting a few months before leaving.\u201d<\/p>\n Marie said nothing to that, the fact that someone other than family had expressed the worry that she endured every day filled her heart with tears. For some inexplicable reason, she slipped her arm through his, and hugged it to her.<\/p>\n \u201cMA!\u201d<\/p>\n She jumped at the sound and both she and Paul blushed. Adam and Hoss, however, were just too pleased to see her safe, as they pushed their horses through the snow to reach them.<\/p>\n \u201cHi, Paul, where did you find Ma?\u201d Hoss asked cheerily.<\/p>\n \u201cIn a snow drift. I\u2019d been to see Frank Miller so I took your Ma back there with me. She\u2019s sprained her foot and hurt her back, but other than that I should think she will be alright soon, given some bed rest, and some pampering.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019ll get all that, Paul, you can count on it.\u201d Adam said, leaning on the pommel of his saddle and smiling at them both, \u201cLet\u2019s get home.\u201d and he turned Sport about turn, and headed the little group of them towards the Ponderosa.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n Joe and Clay left the O\u2019Kellys two days later. Joe had sent his letter off to the family and wondered what Ma would think of him when she received it. He wondered what they were doing now, and whether or not they missed him still. He was deep in thought when he realised Clay was speaking to him,<\/p>\n \u201cI said, that Mrs O\u2019Kelly was a pleasant woman, and a good cook besides.\u201d Clay said once again, giving Joe a sharp look.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, she is,\u201d Joe replied, and looked back over his shoulder at the town they were leaving behind, \u201cShe sure could cook. Hoss would have loved some of the things she cooked, although, of course, she ain\u2019t as good as Hop Sing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo you always have to turn every conversation to the Ponderosa and family, Joe?\u201d Clay asked, the smile slipping from his face.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t,\u201d Joe retorted sharply, stung by the remark.<\/p>\n \u201cYou do!\u201d came the cold reply.<\/p>\n Chapter 134<\/p>\n It was Paul who lifted Marie from the buggy and very carefully carried her into the house. He passed Hop Sing, who appeared to be dancing some kind of weird dance on the porch, and took her up the stairs to her room. It has to be mentioned that the location of this room was well known to the doctor as he had visited her in a doctor\/patient relationship enough times during their years of association.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m feeling a lot better now, Paul.\u201d Marie insisted as he began to unwrap the blanket from around her.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sure you do, my dear, but feeling better in yourself does not necessarily mean your ankle is better or your back healed.\u201d he folded the blanket carefully and handed it over to Hop Sing who placed it on a chair by the door. \u201cHop Sing, Marie should have a good cup of sweet tea now to thaw out her bones. Let me see this ankle now.\u201d and he knelt down and took her foot, carefully unlacing the high button boots that she had been wearing, and placing her foot in on his knee he began to feel gently around the ankle joint.<\/p>\n \u201cIt does hurt,\u201d she said, having drawn in her breath several times, \u201cAnd it looks quite swollen now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe good thing is that it didn\u2019t break.\u201d Paul looked over as Hoss and Adam came into the room, and smiled as Hoss handed him over his big medical bag, \u201cThank you, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n From the bag he took out bandages and began to carefully wrap the injured ankle. He smiled up at her,<\/p>\n \u201cYou just need to rest now, Marie. Hoss, Adam, make sure your mother stays in bed and rests for at least two days. Then she needs to keep warm, drink plenty of liquids, and warm broths. Hop Sing?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Mr Doctor?\u201d Hop Sing bounced forward, his face wreathed in smiles although his dark eyes glanced anxiously at Marie.<\/p>\n \u201cTomorrow I want you to unwrap the bandages, and get Marie to soak her foot in some water with salt in it. Here is some ointment here made from comfrey, it England it\u2019s known as knit bone because it is one of the best natural remedies for helping broken bones heal up, as well as sprains and bruises. So I want this rubbed gently around the ankle, which should then be bandaged.\u201d he placed the ointment in Hop Sing\u2019s trusting hands and smiled at him, and received a nod and smile in return.<\/p>\n \u201cThanks, Paul,\u201d Adam stepped forward, and pulled back the bedclothes, \u201cMa, you had best do what the doctor tells you, don\u2019t you think?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI shall do. It won\u2019t be difficult, I feel quite exhausted.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMa,\u201d Adam sat down by her side and took her hand in his, \u201cWhat were you thinking of, going out in weather like that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut it wasn\u2019t bad weather when I left,\u201d she insisted, \u201cIt was when I was on the way home that the snow started to come down. I needed to go to Ben\u2019s grave. I needed to be close to him. I just -\u201d she paused and shook her head, \u201cYou wouldn\u2019t understand. None of you would understand.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs it because of Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n She looked up into the dark eyes, the kind face, and nodded,<\/p>\n \u201cYes. I miss him, and I\u2019m worried about him. I know I can talk to you both about it, but it wouldn\u2019t be the same kind of talk I\u2019d have with Ben. I know he\u2019s dead, but Ben will forever be in my heart, as someone alive, part of me, and understanding me. I just feel more confident about things when I go there.\u201d<\/p>\n Paul Martin closed his medical bag and felt something in his heart shiver. Could this woman ever love again when she was still so much in love with a dead man? He turned to her and looked at her sad face, and then at Adam and Hoss, and thought how much of a unit they were, a close tightly bound unit. It would take someone very special to become part of it. He doubted whether it would be him, after all, he was only a doctor.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d best go now,\u201d he said very abruptly, so much so that they all three turned to look at him in surprise, \u201cI have other patients to attend to before the weather turns bad again.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPaul, you can\u2019t go yet,\u201d Marie cried, trying to stand and then falling back to sit upon the bed, \u201cYou must be cold. You\u2019ve come out of your way to bring me home. Adam, tell him to stay and have something hot to eat and drink before he leaves.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou heard the lady, Paul.\u201d Adam grinned mischievously, and Paul wondered if he had seen their closeness in the buggy, \u201cCome on, Hop Sing has prepared something for us to eat, which will set you up for your journey home.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI have to go to the Daytons from here, Adam.\u201d Paul said firmly, \u201cI had intended to go from the Millers when I came across Marie. I should really not delay getting there.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, is anything wrong? Not the baby?\u201d Marie cried.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, Mrs Dayton was complaining of feeling unwell. Take care, Marie. Do as I suggested and rest.\u201d he smiled his professional smile and left the room with her goodbye and thanks echoing in his ears.<\/p>\n Ben Cartwright. You were more than a match for any man when alive, but heavens above, you\u2019ve made it even more impossible now that you\u2019re dead!<\/p>\n Chapter 135<\/p>\n Days drifted into weeks, and the weeks trickled into months. The hardness of winter was slowly replaced by the sweet softness of spring.<\/p>\n The winter, having started harshly, proved to be like a toothless old lion, as it was reasonably mild and life was not unduly interrupted by nature. Marie was soon up and about, and visiting friends and neighbours. She became a close confidante to Laura Dayton, and spent more time there than anywhere else, but she told Adam and Hoss it was mainly due to the baby, Peggy, of whom she had become inordinately fond.<\/p>\n Matt continued to be a regular visitor to the Ponderosa, although both Adam and Hoss noticed that the visits were getting further apart, and Marie was certainly not encouraging them. There remained no news from Joe which was eating away at Marie\u2019s emotions as every time Adam and Hoss returned from town her hopes of a letter were dashed.<\/p>\n Paul also visited from time to time, in the capacity of a friend rather than a doctor. He remarked more than once how few his visits, as a doctor, had become since Joe had left home. It was a remark that brought tears to Marie\u2019s eyes and when Paul turned embarrassed eyes from her he was confronted by the stern gaze of Ben Cartwright glowering at him from his portrait above the fire.<\/p>\n *************<\/p>\n Joe Cartwright was frustrated with life. For weeks and months he had been travelling along with Clay, and still they had not reached Mexico. They had, however, spent days, even weeks, in various towns, settlements and villages where Clay would indulge in his favourite past times, gaming cards and women.<\/p>\n For the first time in his life Joseph was getting discontented. On the Ponderosa there was always a purpose to life. Every day he knew he had things to do, which gave him focus, at the end of each week he could look back and see that he had achieved certain goals even if it were just the satisfaction of knowing he had fulfilled his chores. There was discipline and work, purpose and focus and along with it contentment and a sense of self worth.<\/p>\n Now he felt restless, never knowing what the day would bring, and sometimes not even sure if the day would end with either Clay or himself still alive.<\/p>\n It seemed to Joe that Clay did not know what having a purpose, a long term purpose, was all about really. He lived for the moment. To win the next game of cards, the roll of the dice, the next woman who kissed him and said he was the best looking man in the saloon.<\/p>\n Many was the time Joe would think back to Adam\u2019s words, about going back home, and not feeling he had done anything wrong. Don\u2019t let pride get in the way, Adam had said. But that still left Clay and in a strange reversal of roles, Joe now felt responsible for the wellbeing of the feckless young man.<\/p>\n They were now good friends, but there was no brotherly depth of affection between them. That bond of respect between Adam, Hoss and himself was not present with Clay and himself. He had to admit he was disenchanted with his half brother.<\/p>\n Clay swung from being irritated by having his youngest brother along, to being amused. Depending on how he felt towards Joe would be his treatment of the youth. He could be amusing, charming and fun one moment, and then cynical, sarcastic and cool the next. Whenever he had the time and opportunity, Joe would buy paper, pen and ink and write to his family. He would diligently mail them off whenever he could, and hope that they would be patient with him. He missed them far more than he ever admitted in any of his letters.<\/p>\n *********<\/p>\n The haggard looking man pushed open the saloon doors and looked around him. His eyes were bulging in their sockets as he looked around him, and seeing no one he knew he slouched over to the counter, slammed down some coins, and demanded whisky.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m looking for a man,\u201d he said as the bar keeper came with the glass and bottle. \u201cTall, slim, about 26 years of age. Dark haired, probably with a moustache. He\u2019s got a younger brother with him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s his name?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cStafford, Clay Stafford. The kid is called Joseph Cartwright.\u201d he pulled the cork out of the bottle with his teeth and began to pour the liquid into the glass. \u201cHave you seen \u2019em?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy are you looking for \u2019em?\u201d the bar keeper asked, leaning on the counter with his elbows and looking the man anxiously in the face, \u201cBecause if you\u2019re here and there\u2019s gonna be any shooting, you\u2019d best get on outa here and do it someplace else.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo, he is here then? I\u2019ve followed his tracks all the way from Placerville. Thought I\u2019d never find him. When do you expect him in here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t,\u201d came the surly reply, \u201cHe comes when he wants. There\u2019s more than one saloon in this town.\u201d<\/p>\n Zedekiah Murphy nodded, and then slowly drank his whisky. He was in no hurry now. The past few months had taught him nothing, if not patience.<\/p>\n *************<\/p>\n Paul Martin clambered out of his buggy and walked quickly to the door of the ranch house. It was warm and pleasant now, and all around him the ground was lush and green. He knocked on the door which was opened by Hoss,<\/p>\n \u201c\u2019Morning, Paul, anything wrong?\u201d Hoss asked, stepping aside to let the doctor come into the house.<\/p>\n \u201cNothing at all, Hoss. I just called by to bring you your mail. There are some letters there from Joe for you all. I thought I\u2019d bring them straight over for your mother. I know how she\u2019s been fretting for some news of him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJoining us for coffee, Paul?\u201d Adam asked, coming round the desk from the study area, and shaking the doctors hand in welcome.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I can\u2019t stop. I have to check on Frank Miller. Breaking his leg a few months back has caused a whole batch of problems for him. Is Marie home?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure she is, I\u2019ll just go and get her,\u201d Hoss replied.<\/p>\n Adam and Paul watched him go, and then stood in that uncomfortable position of not really knowing what to do or say next. They nodded at each other, smiled. Adam checked through the letters and packages Paul had brought with him, and walked over to his chair,<\/p>\n \u201cSit down, Paul, you make me feel uncomfortable standing there.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBetter not, Adam. I can\u2019t really stay.\u201d Paul replied with a smile and nod (again), and then he turned round as he heard the swish of skirts behind him.<\/p>\n \u201cPaul. How good of you to come and bearing gifts in the form of our mail, so Hoss tells me.\u201d Marie extended both her hands and smiled a welcome.<\/p>\n Paul took her hands in his and after the exact correct amount of time had elapsed he released them.<\/p>\n \u201cI knew you would want to have Joe\u2019s letters, Marie. I wasn\u2019t sure when you would be in town next so thought I would bring them along for you, as I\u2019m visiting the Millers and Daytons today.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy not come back this way and have supper with us this evening, Paul?\u201d she suggested, taking the letters from Adam with a grateful smile, \u201cThen we can tell you all Joe\u2019s news.\u201d<\/p>\n Paul looked at Adam and Hoss, who smiled at him disarmingly, then he looked back at Marie. He nodded,<\/p>\n \u201cCertainly, thank you, that\u2019ll be a pleasure, for me, anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll see you later then,\u201d she said, walking with him to the door, while behind their backs, Adam and Hoss raised their eyebrows and rolled their eyes at each other.<\/p>\n \u201cSure, Paul, see you later,\u201d Hoss said loudly, and gave his brother a wink of the eye.<\/p>\n They both knew exactly in which direction the wind was blowing, even if Marie appeared not to!<\/p>\n Chapter 136 \u201cWhat do you think is eating him up?\u201d Zoe asked the bar keeper, as she leaned against the counter and watched the men as they went about their business. She had worked in the saloon for some years and knew the regulars well. They would greet her with an uplifted hand, a smile, a hello. From this stranger she had received nothing but a dark scowl.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s looking for Clay Stafford and the kid.\u201d one of the men near them said, and he glanced over his shoulder towards Zedekiah with a frown, \u201cThe man\u2019s trouble. I don\u2019t need to know nothing\u2019 more about him than the look on his face to know that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI agree,\u201d Zoe said and looked at the bar keeper, \u201cHe\u2019s been here several hours now. Clay isn\u2019t going to come here tonight because there\u2019s a big poker game going on over at the Claytons place. Do you think we should tell the sheriff about him?\u201d<\/p>\n The three of them looked over at Zedekiah who was now slumped down lower in his chair. The bar keeper nodded,<\/p>\n \u201cHank, you go and tell the sheriff. Zoe, it might be a good idea to go and warn Clay.\u201d<\/p>\n Hank and Zoe both slipped from their positions at the counter and disappeared from the saloon. The bar keeper wiped the counter and glanced back over at the lone figure at the far corner of the saloon. Usually the crowd that came to the saloon were a good natured bunch, and pleased to welcome a stranger with a drink, but something about Zedekiah made them all wary. Despite the crowd and the need for seating, Zedekiah sat alone.<\/p>\n Plucking up some resolve, the bar keeper walked over to the man, put down a glass and a bottle in front of him, and pulled out a chair.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t ask for you to join me?\u201d Zedekiah scowled.<\/p>\n \u201cListen, Mister, I own this place. You either let me join you or get yourself out of here.\u201d<\/p>\n Zedekiah nodded, and looked up at the bar keeper as the man poured himself a drink, and then refilled his customers.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, what\u2019s your name?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMurphy. Zedekiah Murphy. I\u2019ve travelled a long way over a long time to get here. That snake in the grass thought he had lost me when he doubled back on himself back in the snows, but he didn\u2019t. Folk tend to remember a man like Stafford, especially when he\u2019s riding with a Cartwright.\u201d he swigged back the whisky in one gulp, coughed and shook his head, \u201cStrong stuff. What did you make it from, your old socks?\u201d<\/p>\n The bar keeper ignored the comment, but leaned back in the chair to survey the man. He certainly looked like he had travelled for a while. His clothes alone bore testimony to that fact.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere do you hail from?\u201d he asked. \u201cNo, I haven\u2019t.\u201d the bar keeper said honestly, \u201cBut if it\u2019s so popular I daresay there are some here who would know it. Certainly there\u2019s some been working around Virginia Way. \u201c he turned around and scanned the crowd, before he saw a red headed man playing a game of poker with a few others, \u201cHey, Cameron, you know anything about the Ponderosa?\u201d<\/p>\n Cameron checked his cards, and then turned to look at the two men, he nodded,<\/p>\n \u201cBen Cartwright\u2019s place. One thousand square miles of good cattle country, timber and standing on a mountain of gold and silver. I knew Ben Cartwright and his boys some years back. You wouldn\u2019t want to cross him in a hurry.\u201d he wet his thumb and began to flick through his cards again, as though talking had robbed him of his memory.<\/p>\n \u201cBen Cartwright\u2019s dead, been dead nigh on 13 years,\u201d someone else from across the room volunteered. \u201cHis wife and sons run the place now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s one of his sons I\u2019m looking for, Little Joe Cartwright.\u201d Zedekiah muttered, \u201cAnd that skunk Stafford.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell now, Zedekiah, what\u2019s so wrong with them that you\u2019ve travelled all these miles to find \u2018em?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cStafford cheated me at cards. He\u2019s a liar and a cheat. He wouldn\u2019t give me back my money and I lost my place. I sweated blood to get that place up and running, years outa my life, and he comes along and it\u2019s gone, all gone.\u201d he thumped the table with a clenched fist, and leaned closer to the bar keeper, his breath was foul, and the other man leaned back as far as he could go to avoid the stench, \u201cHe stole from me. My home, family, my self respect. He laughed at me. Said I was a fool. Well, perhaps I was then, but I ain\u2019t no fool now.\u201d<\/p>\n There was a stir amongst the crowd as the doors swung open again. Little Joe walked in and looked around, then leaned against the counter and waited to be served. The owner\u2019s assistant came and took his order, filling a glass with beer.<\/p>\n \u201cNot at the Claytons, Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d Joe replied sharply, \u201cI\u2019ve just about had my fill of aces and spades for the moment. Where\u2019s Zoe?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBoss sent her out on an errand.\u201d Phil looked around and then beckoned to Joe to come closer, \u201cThere\u2019s a guy here looking for you and Clay. Trouble with a capital \u2018T\u2019. Hank was sent over to the Claytons to warn you both.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo you know who he is?\u201d Joe asked, thinking to himself that it was inevitable that someone who had lost at Clays hands would take it upon himself to look for him.<\/p>\n \u201cOver there with Ray..\u201d Phil pointed in the direction of the bar keeper and Zedekiah.<\/p>\n Joe glanced over and surveyed the two men thoughtfully. At first he didn\u2019t recognise Zedekiah for the months of travelling alone, the rigours of the journey coupled with the bitterness that was poisoning him, had changed the mans appearance amazingly. It was with a chill to the heart that he realised who it was, however, and he felt his mouth go dry, and he could barely swallow.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you recognise him?\u201d Phil asked.<\/p>\n \u201cYes. He\u2019s trouble all right,\u201d Joe said quietly, and he glanced around the room, and wished that he could see Hoss and Adam right there alongside him. He had not felt this vulnerable for a long time.<\/p>\n The door opened again and Zoe came in. She looked around and saw Ray with Zedekiah, but walked over to the counter to stand with Joe,<\/p>\n \u201cThe sheriff said he would look in later. He can\u2019t come any sooner as there\u2019s been trouble over at Utterbys.\u201d<\/p>\n Phil nodded, Zoe looked at Joe and smiled,<\/p>\n \u201cWhere\u2019s your brother, Joe? Still winning a pile at Claytons?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know, Zoe. I didn\u2019t go with him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re just too nice for this kind of life, Joe. You should go home to your family and that big fancy ranch you\u2019re always talking about.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe smiled and was about to speak when he became aware of a sudden hush and stillness amongst the crowd. They turned together, Joe and the young woman. Standing up in the far corner Zedekiah Murphy seemed to pulsate with energy, Ray had disappeared from view, and the obvious reason was the gun in Zedekiah\u2019s hand, pointing right at Joe.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere is he? Where\u2019s that skunk?\u201d Murphy roared, and without waiting for an answer he pulled the trigger.<\/p>\n Joe was aware of Zoe\u2019s scream piercingly loud in his ears and then a loud crashing noise. \u201cWhere did that varmint go? Anyone see him?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA doctor. Get a doctor \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t just stand there, man, give the boy some room. He needs to get some air.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCome on, now, come on \u2026. Don\u2019t you go dying on us.\u201d<\/p>\n There seemed to be chaos and noise everywhere. Men were shouting and feet were thudding across the floor. Hard bitten men used to seeing death but could not face the possibility of this handsome young boy dying in a pool of his own blood in a town far from home.<\/p>\n Zedekiah had disappeared.<\/p>\n Chapter 137 \u201cTake him to the doctor,\u201d Zoe was shrieking and flapping around them both as though engaged in some weird charismatic dance, \u201cSomeone get the sheriff.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m here,\u201d the sheriff yelled, elbowing his way through the throng, but stepping back to allow Joe to be carried from the saloon, \u201cSeems I was too late.\u201d \u201cI told you, I had other problems to see to that prevented me coming here,\u201d he turned to face them, \u201cAlright now, what happened here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n Joe\u2019s eyes fluttered open and he looked around a room that looked familiar but was somehow different. A tall thin man with a scarred face, from smallpox in his youth, leaned down towards him and smiled,<\/p>\n \u201cAh, you\u2019re coming round. That\u2019s a good sign,\u201d Adrian Wilcox watched the eyes of the young man as they searched around the room, obviously looking for someone, \u201cThey\u2019ve gone for your brother, if that\u2019s who you\u2019re looking for, Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAdam? Is he here? Hoss?\u201d Joe whispered, his eyelids fluttered, and with an extreme effort of will he managed to open them wide and look at the doctor, \u201cWhere\u2019s Ma? Can I see Ma?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, son, I\u2019m sorry. Not just yet. Perhaps later,\u201d Wilcox said softly, \u201cLook, Joe, you were shot, can you remember?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShot?\u201d Joe closed his eyes, \u201cNo. Can\u2019t recall being shot.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve a bullet lodged in your shoulder. It missed the clavicle, thankfully, but you have lost a lot of blood. I must get the bullet out, Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGet the bullet out?\u201d Joe\u2019s head was swimming, if he closed his eyes he felt as though his head would float off his shoulders altogether, and now he was aware of intense pain. \u201cYes, get the bullet out.\u201d he whispered.<\/p>\n Whoever thought Joe Cartwright would be too weak to say a word, such an effort to get each words sorted in his head and spoken through lips that seemed to be slowly fastening together with glue. He sighed deeply and his head lolled heavily to the side.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s out cold again,\u201d Wilcox muttered to Cameron who, out of loyalty to the Cartwrights, had stayed with the boy. \u201cI\u2019ll try to get the bullet out now. Just let\u2019s hope it isn\u2019t lodged near the main artery or under the bone. Here, Cameron, or whatever your name is, come close and be prepared to hold him down while I get it out.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAin\u2019t you got no stuff that will put him out cold?\u201d Cameron asked, looking rather distastefully down at the blood stained clothing that Wilcox was slowly cutting away from the wound.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I used the last of the stuff on Mrs Baker. Waiting for supplies. Take hold now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n Clay looked up from his cards; he had an ace and two kings, a queen and a stupid three of spades. He frowned thoughtfully as he listened to what he was being told, and then looked again at his hand. He hesitated and looked at the money mounting in the centre of the table.<\/p>\n \u201cLook, the kid could be dying. What are you hanging around for here?\u201d Fordyce growled, confident that with Clay gone he had a better chance of winning the pot.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, you\u2019d best get going, Clay. There\u2019s always another game, but you\u2019ve only the one brother.\u201d Jackson said, wondering why a man would delay at such a time as this, for he knew for a certainty if he had a kid brother like Joe Cartwright he would have been out of his seat and haring down the road to the docs.<\/p>\n Reluctantly Clay put down his cards and turned to follow Ray out of the room. He said nothing, but he looked grim. He really needed to win that money as his losses that evening had been considerable.<\/p>\n \u201cIs he dying?\u201d he asked Ray once they were out of the house and walking to the doctors.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know, he lost a lot of blood.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWho did it? Do you know?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA guy called Murphy, from your neck of the woods.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy neck of the woods?\u201d Clay frowned, wondering who he knew called Murphy from New Orleans, then he realised and paused in mid-stride, \u201cZedekiah Murphy?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s the name,\u201d Ray nodded, \u201cHe sure hates you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen why shoot Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause he\u2019s so full of hate and whisky that he couldn\u2019t stop himself. He\u2019s been brooding over what you done to him for months now and it\u2019s got too big for him to handle. Hate and whisky, a bad combination. Here\u2019s the doctors. Tell Joe I\u2019ve been asking after him. There\u2019ll be drinks on the house if he pulls through.\u201d<\/p>\n Clay nodded and watched Ray walk down the road to the saloon. He passed a hand over his face. He sure could use a drink right now. Zedekiah Murphy \u2026 here? He glanced anxiously over his shoulder and slipped into the building.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you his brother, Adam?\u201d Wilcox asked.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I\u2019m his brother, Clay.\u201d came the sharp reply.<\/p>\n Wilcox frowned and nodded. He had seen Clay in the saloons, usually with a girl hanging over his shoulder, cards in his hand and a glass of something at his elbow. He looked down at the boy on the bed and then up again to Clay,<\/p>\n \u201cI got the bullet out, but he\u2019s in a bad way. I don\u2019t want to raise your hopes but I can\u2019t promise anything either.\u201d he wiped Joe\u2019s face from perspiration and shook his head, \u201cFever\u2019s building up here. It\u2019s going to be a tough fight. Has anyone contacted his mother?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s in Virginia City.\u201d Clay replied, looking down at Joe and feeling pity tug at his heart. Poor Joe. Wrong time, wrong place.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s some way but she needs to be told. Cameron, could you arrange for a cable to be sent right away?\u201d<\/p>\n Cameron nodded, but gave Clay an odd look as he passed as though to say, this is something you should have thought of doing\u2026perhaps he thought other things too. He had no time for the likes of Clay Stafford. \u201cIsn\u2019t there anything that you can do to help him?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve given him a high dose of laudanum. It will get to work on him soon.\u201d Wilcox replied as picked up his jacket, \u201cI have to go and visit another patient. Don\u2019t leave him, will you?\u201d<\/p>\n Clay frowned and looked doubtfully at the doctor, who picked up his medical bag and left the room. Alone with Joe Clay had no choice but to resume his seat beside the bed. \u201cYou startled me,\u201d he admitted seeing the uncertain look she cast in his direction, \u201cI thought it might have been Zedekiah.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHuh, well, whatever you did to old Zed he certainly isn\u2019t in a forgiving mood, that\u2019s for sure,\u201d the young woman replied setting down the tray as she spoke, \u201cI thought you could do with something to eat and drink while you waited. How is he?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHolding his own.\u201d Clay replied.<\/p>\n \u201cI think Zedekiah, as you call him, didn\u2019t stop to think about what he was doing when he pulled the gun, he was too drunk and too angry.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo I\u2019ve already been told.\u201d Clay said coldly.<\/p>\n \u201cClay, you\u2019ve been here in Touchstone for two weeks now, don\u2019t you think it would be a good idea to move on ?\u201d she looked at him intently and Clay put down the sandwich he had just picked up from the plate, and stared at her in amazement<\/p>\n \u201cWhat exactly do you mean by that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, it\u2019s a small town. There\u2019s only so many people in it that you can clean out before eventually there isn\u2019t anyone else left. Apart from which you don\u2019t fit in.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t fit in?\u201d Clay gulped, \u201cAre you serious? How can you tell anyone that they don\u2019t fit in?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause you don\u2019t. Why not try working it out for yourself while you nurse your brother.\u201d and she turned to leave, picking up the tray as she did so.<\/p>\n \u201cWait a moment, Zoe.\u201d he grabbed at her arm, \u201cLook, I need to go and see someone about something important. Could you sit here until I get back and make sure Joe\u2019s alright?\u201d<\/p>\n She looked at him levelly, and shook her head slightly, knowing very well where he was going, but she said nothing, just took the seat he had left and pulled it up closer to Joe.<\/p>\n She had sat there an hour when Joe stirred, opened his eyes and looked up at her. His eyes were glazed, but he could dimly make out the shape of a woman and reached out a hand towards her<\/p>\n \u201cMa? Is that you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, Joe, it\u2019s Zoe from the Touchstone Saloon.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs Adam there? Can I speak to Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey ain\u2019t here, honey. Just me and your brother, Clay.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs Clay here?\u201d he sighed, and closed his eyes. It didn\u2019t really matter whether he was or not. Joe was not longer interested.<\/p>\n The pain had subsided now. He felt warm and comfortable, and Zoe saw a small smile play about his lips.<\/p>\n He was talking to Adam, sitting in his chair in the big room back home, and the fire was roaring up the chimney. Hop Sing was putting food on the table, big mounds of food, mountains of food, and Hoss was trying to play a violin of all things with a strange expression on his face. Then Marie walked into the room with a man by her side. He was tall and well built, with silver white hair and the darkest possible eyes. They stood by the table that was now groaning with food and didn\u2019t seem bothered by the fact that Hop Sing kept going to the kitchen and coming back with more.<\/p>\n Hoss stopped playing the fiddle and the man looked around at them all and smiled, his deep voice told them how proud he was of them all. Joe felt tears come to his eyes and he stood up with his legs wobbling,<\/p>\n \u201cPa? Is it really you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt is, son, how are you?\u201d said the tall man, talking in the deep voice that Joe remembered so well. \u201cCome to join us for supper, have you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSupper? There\u2019s enough food here to feed an army!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCan\u2019t let Hoss go hungry, son.\u201d<\/p>\n There was a knock on the door and Miss Abigail Jones came into the room all dressed up so nice and pretty. She looked at the food on the table and shook her head,<\/p>\n \u201cI hope I\u2019m not expected to eat all that,\u201d she simpered, \u201cOh Joe, how good to see you again. Did you finish that essay on the Fall of Pompeii.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOn the fall of who?\u201d Joe stammered.<\/p>\n Adam leaned forward and smiled at him,<\/p>\n \u201cJoe, Miss Jones has really come to see me, she doesn\u2019t realise that we all know exactly why she\u2019s here, so just play along with it, son, will you?\u201d and Joe blinked and shook his head as Adam slowly changed into Ben, although he was still Adam.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you Pa?\u201d he asked<\/p>\n \u201cNo, not really, I\u2019m Adam, but you can think of me as your Pa if you want to,\u201dcame the deep voice of his father from Adam\u2019s lips. \u201cHello, Joe, did you have a nice dream?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt was all mixed up,\u201d he whispered, \u201cAre you real?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAs real as could be, honey. Do you want something to drink?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe relaxed. \u201cWhere\u2019s Clay?\u201d he whispered and had a vague recollection that in his dream Clay had not made an appearance.<\/p>\n \u201cDoing what he\u2019s good at,\u201d Zoe replied, smiled and said nothing more.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n \u201cHow\u2019s your brother?\u201d Jackson asked as C lay resumed his seat at the table.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s alright, holding his own.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCome to win back some of your losses, huh?\u201d Clayton smiled, and Clay laughed rather bleakly, and nodded.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n Hoss opened the door with a goodly portion of his breakfast in his mouth, he gulped it down when he saw Matt at the door,<\/p>\n \u201c\u2019Morning, Matt. Coming in for some coffee?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs your Ma here, Hoss?\u201d Matt asked, sweeping off his hat as he stepped into the room.<\/p>\n Sensing trouble Adam rose from the table, pushed his chair away and turned to Marie who was still seated, although his anxiety had transferred itself to her,<\/p>\n \u201cEd gave me this cable for you, Marie.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA cable?\u201d Marie looked at Hoss and Adam, pulled away from the table and was at Matt\u2019s side within seconds, opening the envelope with nervous fingers. She read the message, and went pale. Hoss and Adam read it through, and then looked at Matt,<\/p>\n \u201cMatt, will you help out with things here,\u201d Adam said, \u201cHoss and I have to leave.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWait,\u201d Marie cried, and grabbed at Adam\u2019s arm, \u201cI\u2019m coming too.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMa,\u201d Hoss said gently, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder, \u201cit\u2019s a long way. Don\u2019t you think it would be better if you stayed here, while we go and bring him home?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t patronise me, Hoss Cartwright. He\u2019s my son. I should be the one who brings him home.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam and Hoss looked at one another. They said nothing, although they both realised that nothing had been said about Clay.<\/p>\n Chapter 139<\/p>\n \u201cHow far now?\u201d Marie asked twenty four hours after reading the cable that had informed her of her sons injuries, \u201cWill it take much longer?\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss frowned and poured out more coffee into the tin mug that Marie held in her hands,<\/p>\n \u201cLook, Ma, it\u2019s going to take as long as it takes. We can\u2019t push the horses or ourselves any faster than we already are, now, can we?\u201d and he put a reassuring hand on her shoulder and looked into her eyes, \u201cI know how you\u2019re feeling, Ma, Adam and I feel just the same way, kinda, but – we have to face the honest truth here in that Joe -.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, he isn\u2019t,\u201d Marie shook her head, \u201cI know what you\u2019re going to say, Hoss, but Joe isn\u2019t dead.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, he isn\u2019t, that\u2019s why we have to be sensible about this and just take whatever rest we can before we can go on.\u201d he drew her into his arms and held her close to his chest, \u201cHey, Ma, have a good cry if you want, you\u2019ll feel a whole heap better if you do.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam looked over at them, and then turned away. The fire was small, adequate for their needs. He glanced over at the horses who were grazing near by. They were freshening up, but were still tired. He reckoned a few more hours travelling in them yet. Hoss was right, though, in what he hadn\u2019t said, because it was just possible that Joe was already dead and that this journey was going to end, well, horribly.<\/p>\n There were at least two more days of travel if they rode as they had during the past twenty four hours, with barely enough time to rest. He drew a hand over his face and bowed his head and thought about how and where he could take any short cuts to shorten the travelling time.<\/p>\n Marie wiped her eyes and blew her nose, then she gave Hoss a kiss on the cheek, before walking over to the fire. She looked at Adam and saw the sad lines of his face and knew he was suffering.<\/p>\n \u201cAdam, where do you think Clay is now?\u201d she asked very quietly.<\/p>\n \u201cClay?\u201d he turned and looked at her, \u201cI should imagine he would be with Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey were supposed to be travelling to Mexico. Why are they in Touchstone? In fact, how do we know Clay is in Touchstone, he could be in Mexico and Joe on his own. After all, the cable was sent by a complete stranger, and there was no mention of Clay.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI had noticed, and I did wonder,\u201d Adam replied quietly, \u201cI just didn\u2019t want to refer to the fact.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis is all Clay\u2019s fault, all of it.\u201d she said in a cold voice, \u201cI shall never forgive him if – if he left Joe alone there, and – and if Joe dies.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo one said Joe was going to die.\u201d Adam turned to look at her and smiled gently, then looked over at Hoss, \u201cWe should get on our way. We can do at least three more hours before stopping again. We will need sleep as well as food then. That will mean a break of at least five hours\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI can make do with three hours sleep, Adam.\u201d Marie murmured, resting a hand on the sleeve of his yellow coat, but he shook his head and placed a hand on hers,<\/p>\n \u201cMa, we have to think of the horses as well. Anyway, let\u2019s get going and see how things are in another three hours time.\u201d<\/p>\n They put out the fire, making sure that it was completely extinguished and buried over. Then they remounted the horses and, with Hoss in charge of the pack horse, they galloped away.<\/p>\n Marie could ride as well as any man, and in some ways, even better than most. She could certainly keep pace with the two men, and as he looked over at her Adam wondered how she was really feeling about Clay now. It had amazed him that she had not broken down in tears upon receipt of the cable, but had immediately decided she was going to ride to Touchstone to see into this matter. Perhaps Clay was already dead, perhaps that was what she had thought and reconciled in her mind.<\/p>\n Hoss had been grim faced ever since he had received the news. He had overseen the packing of food and supplies, with the help of Hop Sing, and had everything packed and ready within two hours. Adam had gone over certain matters dealing with the Ponderosa business with Matt, who, along with Hank Myers, was going to take on the responsibility of the ranch. Matt had obliged before, so it was nothing new. The timber contract that Adam had been negotiating in Sacremento was once again put on hold. When Matt had mentioned the fact that this time the company might decide to cancel Adam had stared at him in surprise and then shrugged, if that was the case, he had said, so be it, Joe was more important than the biggest timber contract!<\/p>\n It had not gone unnoticed by Hoss or Adam how Matt had taken Marie aside just before she had mounted her horse, and taken her hand. Very quietly he told her that upon her return he had something he needed to discuss with her that could not be put off any longer. Marie had listened, nodded, and then mounted her horse. Sadly for Matt, within minutes she had put the matter out of her mind. There was no point in useless speculation about what Matt what to discuss when she was tormented by speculation concerning her two sons in Touchstone.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n Doctor Wilcox examined the wound and then looked thoughtfully at the patient,<\/p>\n \u201cHe looks much better today,\u201d he observed to Clay and the young woman from the saloon, \u201cI think he\u2019s safely out of the worse.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe doesn\u2019t look any different to me,\u201d Clay sighed, peering down into Joe\u2019s face and observing the waxy sheen to the skin and the dark purpling under the eyes. \u201cWhat if he has a relapse?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s possible but unlikely.\u201d Wilcox said with a wry smile, \u201cI think he could be moved from here in a day or two. Miss, do you think you could arrange for some broth to be provided for him? He\u2019ll need building up, so plenty of beef stock.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll see to it, Doc, no problem,\u201d Zoe nodded and left the room with a flourish, Wilcox watched her go and then looked at Clay and shook his head,<\/p>\n \u201cYoung women today, I don\u2019t know, they just don\u2019t seem to have the same respect they used to have at one time. I have to leave now, Mr Stafford, perhaps you could take care of Joe for me. You\u2019re staying at the Lamberts aren\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSupposed to be,\u201d Clay said with a cool smile.<\/p>\n \u201cGood, good, they\u2019re very clean and efficient. The perfect place for an invalid to recuperate in.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRecuperate? How long is that going to take?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAt the most, two weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTwo weeks? Look, Dr Wilcox, it may have escaped your notice but there happens to be a mad man out there hoping to put some holes in my hide. I need to leave this place as soon as I can.\u201d<\/p>\n Wilcox looked at him thoughtfully, and then shook his head,<\/p>\n \u201cThe sheriff is dealing with all that, Mr Stafford. Whether you leave or stay is entirely up to you, but your brother could do with some help from you, you know?\u201d<\/p>\n Clay watched the door close behind the doctor and then he turned to look down at Joe who was still sleeping. He slumped down in the chair and fingered his moustache thoughtfully, as he sought some means of getting out of this particular situation.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n Zedekiah Murphy stood in the shadows and watched the doctor leave the building. He had watched Zoe sashey away, with a swishing of her skirts and a toss of her head. He had no time for women like that, and scowled darkly at her as she passed him in the shadows.<\/p>\n He walked naturally across the road, walking slightly behind another man so that it could appear that they were together, perhaps talking business as they walked. Then as the other man continued on towards the Hardware Store, he continued in the other direction towards the doctors surgery.<\/p>\n He moved very silently, very stealthily. There was no creak of hinges, nor squeak as the handle turned. Within seconds he was inside the building, his gun in his hand, and moving slowly to the room where he knew he would find Joe and Clay.<\/p>\n Clay Stafford leaned towards Joe who was opening his eyes and looking around him rather blearily. With considerable gentleness Clay put his arm behind Joe\u2019s shoulders and helped him into a sitting position.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, Joe, you sure put me through the mill. I thought for sure you were a goner.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt takes more than a bullet to finish me off,\u201d Joe smiled, his face pale and his lips without their usual ruddiness, \u201cYou just ask Hoss, he\u2019ll tell you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHoss? Yeah, I guess he would know. Look, Joe, I was thinking \u2026\u201d he stopped, saw the look on Joe\u2019s face and turned.<\/p>\n Chapter 140<\/p>\n Clay\u2019s mouth ran dry, but he was not a coward. His hand went immediately to the gun at his side and he stood up, stepped forward with it in his hand,<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s as far as it goes, Murphy.\u201d he said coldly, \u201cWhy not put the gun down now?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re crazy if you think I\u2019d do a fool thing like that,\u201d Zedekiah said with a slight smile. \u201cYou know, I could have blasted you right there and then just where you were sitting, but I thought I\u2019d wait a while. I ain\u2019t gonna shoot you, Stafford, so you can put your gun down.\u201d<\/p>\n Clay did not take the man at his word, but remained where he stood with the gun pointed at Zedekiah, who shrugged and raised his own hands slightly away from his body, as though to prove that he had no weapon. He looked over at Joe,<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry, kid. I got to thinking after I shot you, and realised what a fool thing I did then. It ain\u2019t your fault that Stafford did what he did to me and my family. I shouldn\u2019t have done that, gone and shot you up. I feel real bad about it. I came to ask you for your forgiveness, Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy forgiveness?\u201d Joe gasped, and wondered whether or not he was still caught up in that weird dream he\u2019d been having earlier.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Joe. I had been drinking. Hadn\u2019t touched a drop nigh on six weeks now and the rotgut stuff that guy served went right to my head. I had been sitting there for hours after travelling around for weeks. All that anger and such got so big in my head that when I saw you, everything kinda exploded inside of me. I\u2019m more than glad that it was not more serious. I don\u2019t know how I\u2019d have faced the Lady knowing I\u2019d killed her little boy.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe screwed up his eyes, he must be dreaming still, surely. He opened them and Zedekiah was still standing there, his hands in the air and Clay was still there with the gun in his hand,<\/p>\n \u201cZedekiah, I don\u2019t understand why you\u2019ve come here,\u201d Joe stammered and fell back against the pillows, exhausted and aware that the pain was beginning to hammer at his nerve ends.<\/p>\n \u201cI came for your forgiveness, Joe.\u201d Zedekiah pleaded earnestly, \u201cI\u2019m right sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure, sure, it\u2019s alright, Zedekiah, it\u2019s alright. Look, why not just forget the whole thing, why not ride home to your wife and family and forget all about this crazy feud with Clay? Just think of your blessings and \u2026\u201d Joe stopped, his head was whirling round and round now, and he felt strangely sick, \u201cIs this a dream?\u201d he whispered and promptly passed out.<\/p>\n Clay turned to look at his brother and then turned back to look at Zedekiah,<\/p>\n \u201cI could shoot you here and now, Mister, and no one would care in the least,\u201d he said coldly.<\/p>\n \u201cYou could do that, Stafford. Perhaps you\u2019d be doing me a favour if you did. I ain\u2019t never been a man to get riled easily, and all this hate I feel for you ain\u2019t summat I quite understand in myself. But you did me a powerful wrong back there, and if you don\u2019t shoot me now, I swear there will be a day when I\u2019ll get you. You won\u2019t know when, you won\u2019t know how, but I will get you.\u201d<\/p>\n Clay stared into the calm eyes of the homesteader. A slight frown furrowed his brow,<\/p>\n \u201cCan\u2019t you get it into your thick skull, man, that when you sat down at that card table you were the only one responsible for your gains and losses? Anybody at that table could have taken your money that day. You\u2019re a lousy player, Murphy, that\u2019s all it boils down to. So why all this hate against me?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause I may be a lousy player, and no doubt you\u2019re right about that, Stafford, but you cheated. I know a cheat when I see one. That\u2019s what becomes of being always honest, you can see a liar and a cheat for what they are from a long way off.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re crazy!\u201d Clay cried, the urge to laugh rose within him but he had enough sense to fight it off, \u201cIf you\u2019re that honest, why not forget the whole thing, go home, man, go home.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThanks to you, I ain\u2019t got a home. It belongs to Adam Cartwright now, or didn\u2019t you realise that? He paid off my debts for me. I used to be a respectable man. Now I\u2019m nothing! You robbed me of more than my money, Mister.\u201d<\/p>\n He stepped back, through the open door and into the darkness beyond. Clay heard the outer door open and close. For some while he remained standing where he was, with Joe still out cold on the bed behind him, and the sweat beading on his brow and trickling down his spine.<\/p>\n Chapter 141 \u201cDarn your hide, Joe, why on earth did I have to get stuck with you,\u201d he hissed between clenched teeth, \u201cI should never have gone to the Ponderosa, never have gone to see her. It doesn\u2019t pay to get involved, little brother. If anything, you can learn that from me. I guess it was a gamble all right, but it didn\u2019t pay off this time, that\u2019s for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe\u2019s eyes flickered open, and he looked right up into the anxious eyes of his brother.<\/p>\n \u201cWas I dreaming or was that really Zedekiah standing here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt wasn\u2019t any dream, Joe, he was here alright. He\u2019s still bent on killing me.\u201d Clay said with a touch of bravado in his voice, as though it didn\u2019t bother him at all. \u201cI reckon the man\u2019s yella, he didn\u2019t have the guts to try just now when we were face to face. What do you reckon, do you think he\u2019s the kind of man to shoot another in the back?\u201d he smiled, a handsome devil may care young man who was already working out a plan with his life as the winnings.<\/p>\n \u201cZedekiah never hurt a man in his life. He sometimes got drunk and wrassled with Hoss, but that was only high days and holidays.\u201d Joe put a hand to his wounded shoulder, \u201cClay, my shoulder sure hurts me, it feels like I\u2019ve wrassled with a bear and it\u2019s left a tooth in me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou do look kinda odd looking. Look at me, Joe, how many fingers have I got \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI dunno, but it looks as though you got three eyes.\u201d Joe groaned, and sweat began to bead through the pores of his skin, \u201cI sure wish Ma were here. Oh, Clay, get me something to get rid of this pain\u2026\u201d and he gave such a groan mingled with a sob that Clay began to rummage around the shelves of the doctors medicine cabinet.<\/p>\n The green bottle marked Laudanum came to hand and he took it over to Joe pulling out the cork as he did so,<\/p>\n \u201cDrink some of this stuff, Joe. My nurse used to give it to me when I was a kid. Cured me of all kinds of aches and pains.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhere\u2019s Doc Martin? Paul would know what to do \u2026\u201d mumbled Joe, close to becoming delirious with the pain now. He was bent over, cradling his injured arm to his chest, while pain banged against his nerve endings to such an extent that his body was beginning to shake.<\/p>\n \u201cHere, Joe, drink this.\u201d Clay cried, hating to see Joe in such torment, and he ladled two large spoonfuls of laudanum into Joe\u2019s mouth, and then put an arm around the boy\u2019s shoulders to support him, \u201cIs that better, Joe? Are you feeling less pain now?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy head feels funny.\u201d Joe sighed softly, and his eyes rolled up, his lids closed down and he slumped heavily into Clays arms.<\/p>\n Gently Clay laid the youth back down onto the bed. He pulled over the blanket and for a moment gazed down at him. He turned sharply when the door opened again, and had his gun in his hand before Zoe even had time to step through the door.<\/p>\n She stared at the gun and then at him, and raised her eyebrows,<\/p>\n \u201cWell, what are you going to do with that thing?\u201d she asked with a slight sneer in her voice, \u201cAre you going to put it away or play Dixie with it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy apologies, I thought it was Murphy.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat? That mad man?\u201d Zoe walked into the room and put the tray down. She lifted the lids from the bowls and the aroma of beef stew drifted around the room. Clay swallowed when he realised how he was salivating, and also realised how long it had been since he had eaten.<\/p>\n \u201cThat mad man was here less than five minutes ago. He\u2019s crazy. Threatened to shoot me.\u201d Clay took a bowl of the stew and a hunk of the bread , sat down and began to eat.<\/p>\n \u201cSo why didn\u2019t he?\u201d came the unsympathetic reply.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause he\u2019s mad, that\u2019s why! Because I had my gun out and he was too much of a coward to face me down. He\u2019s decided to play the waiting game and stalk me.\u201d<\/p>\n Zoe shrugged,<\/p>\n \u201cI could see how that worries you,\u201d she muttered, walking over to Joe, and stroking back the curls from the boys brow, \u201cHow has he been?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIn pain. I gave him some laudanum.\u201d Clay indicated the bottle which Zoe picked up and looked at, \u201cTwo doses.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTwo doses?\u201d she looked down at the youth and touched his skin, \u201cHe\u2019s very clammy. I think Dr Wilcox should be here. Go get him, Clay.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat? Are you stupid? I\u2019ve just told you that there\u2019s a crazy man out there wanting to shoot me down and you want me to go out?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh sure, go out there and help your brother and for once forget about yourself. Hard, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d Clay stood up, \u201cLook, Zoe, I\u2019ll go. Just stay here with Joe and make sure he\u2019s alright. I\u2019ll go and get the doctor.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHurry up then, and don\u2019t get yourself side tracked this time.\u201d<\/p>\n Zoe watched him leave the room and heard the door close. She frowned slightly and looked again at Joe, then sat down on the chair and took hold of his hands,<\/p>\n \u201cPoor kid. It\u2019s alright, you\u2019ll come through this alright, I promise. We\u2019ve sent for your Ma and brothers, you know. You aren\u2019t like your brother Clay are you? Nothing like. Can\u2019t imagine you telling a girl you love her and then walking away, and never walking back. He didn\u2019t even recognise me, you know that? Oh, Joe, I wish \u2026 I wish he had been more like you. I loved him, I believed him, more fool me, huh? Well, I guess I learned a hard lesson early on in life, because it sure won\u2019t happen to me again.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe sighed and his hand twitched slightly between her fingers. He was riding Cochise across the hills, smelling the familiar smell of the Ponderosa pines, and looking up at the blue skies as larks sung. He could see Ma walking up the track towards him, she was wearing her best dress and carrying a sheaf of flowers. There was a smile on her face and joy in her eyes, and she looked so lovely that he could not help but cry out \u201cMA\u201d.<\/p>\n Zoe smiled and stroked back the curls on his damp brow. Then she leaned down and kissed him very gently.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n Wilcox listened to the message Clay gave him, and nodded several times, all the while packing things in his bag which he finally closed with a sharp snap.<\/p>\n \u201cRight, I\u2019ve finished here, let\u2019s go and see what\u2019s going on with Joe. You should never have touched that laudanum, Stafford.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI just gave him two doses.\u201d<\/p>\n Wilcox shook his head and after biding his patient goodnight, he hurried out of the house.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you coming, Stafford?\u201d he asked, turning to see Clay still standing outside the house, \u201cYour brother needs you, man.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know that, but I have to get out of here. There\u2019s a mad man hanging around this town waiting to kill me. I value my life, doctor, so I think, while I still have a skin without any holes in it, I\u2019ll leave town. Tell Joe, from me, that I\u2019m sorry I couldn\u2019t stick around, but I\u2019m going to Mexico like we arranged. Tell him he can go back home now, and not have to worry about me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re running out on him?\u201d Wilcox muttered in disgust.<\/p>\n \u201cLook, that madman has already nearly killed him. If I leave town now Joe won\u2019t be any danger anymore. He can go back home with his family.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYour family too, isn\u2019t it?\u201d the doctor said quietly.<\/p>\n Clay stopped, paused, pondered the question for a second and then slowly shook his head,<\/p>\n \u201cNo, not really.\u201d he replied, \u201cI didn\u2019t really know them very well. I don\u2019t think they know me at all.\u201d<\/p>\n Wilcox shook his head, then realising the young man had made up his mind, he turned away from him and began to walk quickly to the surgery, and back to Joe.<\/p>\n Clay watched him for a second or two, then turned the opposite way to hurry to where they had their rooms. He bundled his belongings into his saddlebags, then pulled out his wallet. He had made losses that evening, but the winnings from other games had mounted up considerably. That money was stowed carefully away in a sock and placed in with his clothes. The money in his wallet he counted out, and half of it he stuffed into the pocket of Joe\u2019s jacket which was still where Joe had left it earlier that evening. Then, without a backward glance, he left the room.<\/p>\n After paying his share of the hire of the room, Clay made his way to the stable, saddled his horse, and within minutes was riding quickly out of the town. Just another shadow among all the shadows until he was completely swallowed up among them and could no longer be seen.<\/p>\n Chapter 142<\/p>\n \u201cJoe? Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n He could hear his name being called but it came as though from a long distance away. He wanted to open his eyes but they seemed glued shut, even his mouth was clamped so tight that his teeth were aching. Someone was shaking him, as though impatient for him to wake up. He didn\u2019t want to wake up. He felt safe right where he was, fast asleep in bed.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s not coming round.\u201d Zoe whispered and looked plaintively at Wilcox, who had gone to his medical bag and produced a small phial. \u201cWhat\u2019s that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSmelling salts. This may work, let\u2019s hope so anyway.\u201d Wilcox leaned forwards and offered the phial to the young man\u2019s nostrils.<\/p>\n \u201cLet me sleep \u2026\u201d Joe whispered, his eyelids fluttering open.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, Joseph, I need you to stay awake now. Do you hear me? You must stay awake.\u201d Wilcox said rather loudly, and giving Joe a little shake as he spoke.<\/p>\n \u201cAll right. I\u2019m awake. Do I have chores to do? Where\u2019s Adam? \u201c Joe blinked blearily and raised a hand to rub his head, making his unruly hair more tousled than ever. \u201cWhere am I?\u201d he asked suddenly realising that he was not at home in bed as he had supposed, but somewhere strange.<\/p>\n \u201cTouchstone. I\u2019m Doctor Wilcox. You were shot in the saloon.\u201d<\/p>\n A woman came towards him, she looked familiar, and Joe gave her a smile. She handed him a cup of something hot to drink, sweet as well, he savoured the smell and drank it.<\/p>\n \u201cThanks, Ma\u2019am. Was I asleep?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYour brother gave you too much laudanum.\u201d Wilcox explained.<\/p>\n \u201cMy brother? Clay, do you mean?\u201d he glanced around the room. The woman had gone back to where a tray of food with cups and a jug were arranged, and she looked over at him, and then at the Doctor. Something about that look made Joe feel a worm of anxiety niggle in his gut, \u201cIs Clay here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot here, not at the moment.\u201d Wilcox smiled, \u201cHe\u2019s on an errand for me, so should be back soon.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI doubt it,\u201d Zoe muttered \u2018sotto voce\u2019 in the back ground.<\/p>\n \u201cHow are you feeling now, Joe? Still fuzzy headed?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, kinda like I could sleep for weeks, and I feel as though I\u2019m falling backwards all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI want you to eat some broth now, and plenty of bread. You can have some water to drink as well.\u201d Wilcox stepped aside to let Zoe approach the bed, and administer the food. \u201cDid your brother tell you that we had sent for your mother and brothers?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou have? Hey, that\u2019s great,\u201d Joe mumbled with his mouth full and he nearly choked with the emotion he was feeling. Seeing his Ma again, and Adam, Hoss, very soon. It was like a gift from heaven.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n Clay rode at a comfortable gallop. He kept looking over his shoulder every so often, just to reassure himself that there was no one following him. Occasionally he paused to listen to the sounds on the evening, the time when the animals were settling down, except the night predators. He listened to the familiar rustle of the undergrowth, the squeaks of victims, the hoot of owls. In the distance a coyote howled to the moon, and serenaded his love, who returned his call with howls of her own. There was no sound of a horse galloping behind him.<\/p>\n Life, he decided, had got too complicated. He wondered if, had he gone in search of Marie at the age of 14, when he had found out that she was alive and living on the Ponderosa, things would have been different, or had the caste been already set? Growing up as part of the family back then would have made him more like Joe, or Adam perhaps. He couldn\u2019t imagine himself being anything like Hoss. He lacked the basic goodness that was at the heart of that young man.<\/p>\n He had studied Joe carefully during their months together. Joe had talked so much and so often of the Ponderosa that Clay was sick of the sound of it, and them. Yet when he talked about his own life in New Orleans, it all sounded so boring and tawdry compared with the excitement Joe had known. It was all irritating. He was glad to be galloping away and putting as much distance between them as possible.<\/p>\n In the later hours of night he made a small camp. He needed to sleep. His nerves were in shreds and the sooner day light came the safer he would feel. He really had to get some sleep.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n Chapter 143 \u201cYou\u2019ve my son -\u201d the woman cried, even as Wilcox was looking from one to the other of them and trying to convince himself that they actually presented no danger to him for their faces were so grim and they filled the doorway so expansively that all he was aware of was that he was under threat.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re Joe\u2019s family? Of course, come in, come in.\u201d he stepped aside to let them into the building, \u201cFollow me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow is he? Is he going to be alright?\u201d the woman asked, hurrying along beside him and almost tripping on his heels in her haste to reach her son.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s doing very well. Knowing that you were on the way gave him an enormous boost, and he seemed to rally from that point on. He\u2019s asked for you often.\u201d he pushed open a door and stepped back, knowing that had he not done so he would have been flattened against the wall as the three Cartwrights surged forwards into the room.<\/p>\n \u201cJoe? Joe?\u201d Marie cried, as she hurried to the side of the bed upon which Joe slept, \u201cWhy isn\u2019t he awake? I thought you said he was doing well?\u201d she cried looking at the doctor with wide alarmed eyes.<\/p>\n Adam put a hand to her arm and turned to Wilcox with a question in his eyes, while Hoss approached the bed and looked down at his brother, taking off his hat as he did so.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is late at night, Madam, and he\u2019s sleeping, that\u2019s all.\u201d Wilcox smiled, he extended his hand towards them, \u201cEdward Wilcox at your service.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDr Wilcox, will Joe recover from this?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n \u201cMost certainly. He\u2019s suffered greatly, no doubt about it, but he\u2019s come through it very well. I can\u2019t see any reason why he should not recover full use of his arm very quickly. I was concerned at one point that the nerves in his arm would be affected, and use of his hand and fingers would be, well, very limited. But it seems he has a good healthy constitution and damage was negligible. I am sure he will be in good shape very soon.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhere\u2019s Clay? Why isn\u2019t he here?\u201d Adam asked next, his voice slightly colder, more remote as he surveyed the doctor.<\/p>\n \u201cMr Stafford left Touchstone two days ago.\u201d Wilcox replied, and at looked at Marie thoughtfully when she gasped and looked wide eyed in surprise at him,<\/p>\n \u201cClay left Joe? Even though he knew how badly hurt he was?\u201d she cried, drawing closer to Joe, and putting a hand on his arm as though, even as he slept, he should know she was near him, and that he was now safe.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, Zedekiah Murphy threatened to kill him, Ma\u2019am. It seems he came here to apologise to Joe for shooting him, and then said he would kill Mr Stafford as and when it suited him.\u201d Wilcox stopped there, unsure of what to say next.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd has anyone seen Zedekiah since the shooting?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/p>\n \u201cNo. It\u2019s assumed that he has followed Mr Stafford out of town.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd where did Mr Stafford decide to run to?\u201d Adam asked with ice in his voice and his dark eyes nearly black with suppressed anger.<\/p>\n \u201cHe did mention Mexico.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDoes Joe know,\u201d Marie said quietly, \u201cDoes he know that Clay left him here on his own?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMadam, I\u2019m sure Mr Stafford acted in Joe\u2019s best interests. He was concerned that Zedekiah would hurt Joe if he was with him. He knew that Joe was recovering, and that you were on your way here.\u201d he stopped again, and bit his bottom lip. It was, probably, not the most tactful thing to have told a mother, that her son knew she was on her way and said son decided to scuttle off to Mexico.<\/p>\n \u201cDang his hide,\u201d Hoss muttered and looked at Adam, \u201cI warned him, if anything happened to Joe, I\u2019d hunt him down and skin him alive!\u201d<\/p>\n Marie shook her head and looked at him anxiously,<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t say that, Hoss. Clay would never have left Joe if he hadn\u2019t thought it was the wisest thing to do.\u201d she said softly, and stroked a curl from Joe\u2019s brow upon which she dropped a gentle kiss.<\/p>\n \u201cWisest for whom?\u201d Adam growled, \u201cClay would not be thinking of Joe\u2019s best interests in all this, I can assure you of that, Ma.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAdam,\u201d Marie turned to him and then closed her eyes, as the room seemed to swim around her. It was Wilcox who noticed the signs of faintness and hurried to get a chair into which he guided her,<\/p>\n \u201cThere now, Mrs Cartwright, just put her head down low, between your knees if possible. You must be exhausted, all of you. Let me get something organised for you to eat and drink. Mr Cartwright,\u201d he looked at Hoss, \u201csome water for your mother, in that carafe behind you.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss poured water into a glass and handed it to Marie, and smiled down at her reassuringly. He felt awkward standing in that cramped room with the doctor twittering on about everything. Perhaps he was not surprised that Clay had disappeared, but at the same time he had not expected the man to have left Joe when needed most by him. He looked over at Adam who raised his eyebrows and shook his head slightly, as though to warn him to say nothing more about any future plans concerning Clay.<\/p>\n \u201cDr Wilcox, what exactly happened on the night of the shooting? Where did it happen? Why did Zedekiah shoot Joe instead of Clay?\u201d Adam asked, watching the doctor as the man helped Marie to gain her composure.<\/p>\n \u201cClay wasn\u2019t with Joe, that\u2019s why. Joe had gone to the saloon for a drink, and Zedekiah had been there waiting for them both to turn up. He\u2019d been there some hours and had got drunk on whisky. He just couldn\u2019t control himself and shot more out of drunken rage than intent to harm Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo, where was Clay?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/p>\n Wilcox glanced at Marie, who raised her eyebrows now, and nodded,<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019d like to know the truth, Doctor.\u201d she said in a much calmer voice, and turned to look at Joe. What a relief to see him again. She could barely contain herself for the excitement and joy at seeing him now, and she wanted to hold him tight and hug him close.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, er, it seems Clay was at a private house at the time. There was a big card game at the Claytons, apparently he was losing quite steadily and had stayed to try to recoup his losses.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSounds like something Clay would do,\u201d Adam muttered, and shook his head, while he looked at Marie thoughtfully, wondering what she thought about the matter, after all, she was mother to both young men, and what she thought and felt right then was important for any future decision that needed to be taken by him.<\/p>\n \u201cMa?\u201d Hoss said, \u201cDid you jest hear what the doctor said?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes,I heard.\u201d Marie said quietly, \u201cBut just now, it doesn\u2019t really matter. Joe\u2019s safe, and he\u2019s going to get well. He can come home with us.\u201d she looked at them and smiled, \u201cClay is like his father, what more can I say?\u201d and she gave a slight shrug of the shoulders.<\/p>\n Adam looked down at the floor, remembering how in the past Jean de Marigney had left his wife and died far away from her. But it was too simplistic an answer, he glanced over at the doctor, and caught his attention,<\/p>\n \u201cIs there anywhere we can stay, get some food. Our mother is exhausted, we hardly slept during the whole of the journey.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a boarding house opposite here,\u201d Wilcox said, \u201cand I can arrange for some food to be brought there, or here, if you prefer it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think it will be possible for Ma to leave Joe, just yet,\u201d Adam said with a fond smile at the woman, \u201cIf you could arrange for food and something to drink we\u2019d be grateful.\u201d<\/p>\n Wilcox left the room, relieved to be able to do something constructive as he felt that everything he had said and done had caused only further problems to the family. Adam looked over at Hoss and jerked his head to gain his brother\u2019s attention. Hoss promptly left Joe\u2019s side to gain that of Adams,<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s on your mind?\u201d he said softly.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t want Clay getting too much further ahead of us, especially if he has Zedekiah on his trail. We\u2019ll need to track him down as soon as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I agree, but I want to make sure Joe is alright first.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo do I. I don\u2019t think we\u2019ll be able to prise Ma away from his side anyway, so there\u2019s no need for her to know \u2026 how do you feel about that?\u201d he looked keenly into Hoss\u2019 blue eyes and the other man nodded in agreement, and returned the look with one just as sharp.<\/p>\n Joe stirred, opened his eyes. He squinted slightly, and closed them again.<\/p>\n \u201cJoe? Darling?\u201d<\/p>\n In the dim light, when he reopened his eyes, he saw her looking down at him. The light softened the appearance of her, and she appeared to him as he would often remember her, when he had been a small child.<\/p>\n \u201cIs that you, Ma?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, darling, it\u2019s me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd Adam and Hoss, are they here too?\u201d he whispered.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, they\u2019re here,\u201d she stroked his hair from his face, kissed his brow, smiled down at him.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re not a dream are you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I\u2019m too tired and saddle sore to be part of anyone\u2019s dream, sweetheart.\u201d and her smile was broader as she looked down at him \u201cHow are you feeling now?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA lot better than I had been. I knew you\u2019d come, Ma, I knew it would be alright.\u201d he looked about him and saw his brothers at the foot of the bed, his eyes gleamed with energy as it had not done for several days, and colour mantled his cheeks, \u201cI knew you\u2019d come.\u201d he whispered.<\/p>\n \u201cSure, Joe, sure, we\u2019re here now.\u201d Hoss said gruffly, \u201cWe\u2019re here, and we\u2019re gonna take you back home, to the Ponderosa.\u201d he approached the bed and looked down at his little brother with love swelling his heart, \u201cHop Sing will sure fatten you up, little brother.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI guess he will,\u201d Joe said struggling to stay awake, \u201cAdam, did you find Clay?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d Adam replied as he approached the bed and he smiled down at Joe, his dark eyes grew sombre, \u201cNo, Joe, I didn\u2019t\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDoc said he\u2019d gone on an errand, but that seems like a long time ago now\u2026 everything\u2019s so hazy. I can\u2019t quite remember \u2026\u201d his voice trailed away, he turned his head, saw Marie and smiled vaguely, \u201cMa, I sure love you.\u201d<\/p>\n Marie, holding his hand in hers, raised it to her lips, and kissed his fingers. Her little boy was safe. She watched him as he fell back to sleep.<\/p>\n Adam pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes. No, he hadn\u2019t found Clay yet \u2026 but he would!<\/p>\n Chapter 144<\/p>\n Joe slept soundly. Knowing that his mother and brothers were now by his side was possibly the best medicine that could have been administered. Once or twice he would open his eyes, look upon Marie\u2019s face, and then slip back into peaceful slumber.<\/p>\n The journey had been arduous, with little sleep and only snatched meal breaks. It was not a surprise when Marie succumbed to the warmth of the room and the adrenalin no longer pumped through her body driving her relentlessly onwards. She relaxed, and bowed her head like a sweet poppy nodding in the sun, and fell asleep by Joe\u2019s side.<\/p>\n \u201cAdam, when do you want to start looking for Clay?\u201d Hoss whispered from his side of the bed, \u201cOnly the sooner we git started the better.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know. But you need sleep, Hoss, so take this opportunity to get some. You\u2019ll need your wits about you tomorrow.\u201d he said this because Hoss was the best tracker in the territory and this knowledge was going to be heavily relied upon in finding Clay after several days intermission.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll need fresh horses. Chubb is worn out, and I ain\u2019t gonna ruin my horse for Clay Stafford.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know. We\u2019ll hire horses out. Sport needs to rest up, I noticed his foreleg was hot to the touch earlier.\u201d Adam glanced around him, and sighed. He looked at Joe and felt a surge of pity for the lad, as well as relief that he was safe. When he looked at Marie\u2019s face in repose now, he felt a tender love, knowing that she had suffered much during the past months, and the last few days had been particularly harrowing.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, Adam ..\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve bin thinking about Clay. I don\u2019t reckon that Ma will be altogether pleased with us for going out to find him and giving him the thrashing he deserves.\u201d Hoss thought about that for a moment and then nodded,<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d he said, \u201cYeah, I reckon we could just about do that \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s more than he deserves anyway.\u201d Adam added as a rider to his previous statement.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHuh?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat about Zedekiah then? What if he\u2019s found Clay before we get to him?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam paused for thought and then shrugged,<\/p>\n \u201cWell, either he\u2019ll have done to Clay far worse than we could, or Clay will have done to Zedekiah what a man in his position is often forced to do, and that\u2019s defend himself.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat if Clay decides to defend himself against us? You saw that holster of his? There ain\u2019t that many about, but it sure makes for lightning draws with a gun.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss was referring to the holster with the open sided section through which a gun is drawn out, it saved a man seconds of vital time when he could just put his hand on the butt of his gun and jerk it into position rather than having to make a complete withdrawal and then aim.<\/p>\n \u201cHe won\u2019t,\u201d Adam drawled confidently, \u201cWe\u2019re kind of kin, aren\u2019t we?\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss nodded slowly, less confidently. The clock ticked on the wall, and the shadows lengthened in the room. When Wilcox returned with a tray of food and coffee all three travellers were fast asleep.<\/p>\n Chapter 145 While Marie was thus engaged Hoss and Adam went to the livery stable to check in their horses, and to see what kind of mounts they could hire out. Sport and Chubb indicated their pleasure at having time to rest up, and also discovered their old stable mate, Cochise, in a stall nearby.<\/p>\n \u201cAlmost home from home,\u201d Hoss grinned as he stroked Cochise\u2019s sleek neck.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, well, don\u2019t get too carried away, there\u2019s things to do.\u201d Adam remarked and he slapped his brother fondly on the back, and turned from the stable back to the main street.<\/p>\n \u201cAdam, I reckon I could do with a good soak in a bath, before we hit the trail agin,\u201d Hoss said, as they walked back to the doctors.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy? You\u2019re only going to get covering in dirt and dust again?\u201d Adam replied with a shrug of the shoulders.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, but I feel kinda like I\u2019d prefer to start off clean,\u201d Hoss nodded as if we emphasise the word clean.<\/p>\n Adam nodded but continued on to the doctors. Together they entered the building and found the room where they found Joe, dressed and sitting in a chair, talking to Marie.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, this is progress, Joe.\u201d Adam cried, \u201cHow are you, Shortshanks?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m fine, Adam, really I am.\u201d Joe grinned, \u201cI can\u2019t tell you how glad I am to see you all. I never meant to cause you all this trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss and Adam smiled at him, and Hoss tousled his hair and assured him it was no trouble they were just dying to find an excuse to get out of chores for a while.<\/p>\n \u201cHas the Doctor said you were alright to leave now, Joe?\u201d Hoss asked, looking anxiously at his little brother who seemed to have a very pale face with extra bright eyes, and to Hoss\u2019 way of thinking was plain undernourished looking.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, so long as I keep my arm in a sling and I don\u2019t leave town until he gives me the all clear.\u201d Joe grinned and winked.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, right -\u201d Hoss grinned back, knowing that no Cartwright hangs about anyplace waiting for a doctors \u2018all clear\u2019.<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s go and eat,\u201d Joe suggested, getting to his feet, \u201cI know a real great place for breakfast.\u201d<\/p>\n He swayed a little on his feet, but steadied up with Hoss\u2019 help. Dr Wilcox lamented that he should have more bed rest for a few more days, but Joe said quite adamantly that no one stays in bed just because they\u2019ve been shot in the shoulder, surely?<\/p>\n \u201cWell, they do usually,\u201d Wilcox insisted but they were already walking out of the doorway, and out into the street.<\/p>\n In his room in the boarding house Joe found the money that Clay had left in his jacket, he stared at it dismally and then looked at Marie and his brothers,<\/p>\n \u201cI guess he meant it when he said he got bored quickly,\u201d he said in a dejected tone of voice.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have to learn some hard lessons in life at times, Joe. Finding out that some of the people we elevate on pedestals don\u2019t really belong there can come hard,\u201d Adam said softly.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not that so much, Adam, I reckon Clay came off that pedestal I put him on a long time back. It\u2019s just that I feel I failed him somehow. We never did get to Mexico together, but now he\u2019s going to go anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n Marie slipped her arm through that of Joes, and smiled at him reassuringly. As a mother she felt for her son, but she felt doubly hurt knowing that her other son was the cause of Joe\u2019s pain.<\/p>\n Both Adam and Hoss had bathed and brushed up after they had eaten. The breakfast had been everything that Joe had said it would be, even if he didn\u2019t eat much. He talked a little of some of his adventures, but he talked mostly about going back home, always with that sad listless note to his voice, that made Marie feel desperately sorry for him, and left his two brothers simmering more than ever!<\/p>\n Leaving Joe to rest Marie tracked them down to the livery stable, where they were trying to knock down the prices of the hire charges.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere are you two going now?\u201d she asked, looking from one to the other in a rather stern manner.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, we thought we\u2019d go for a little ride. See what we\u2019d find around here that could be of interest.\u201d Adam said, sighing as he handed over some money and realising he wasn\u2019t going to get any back.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, Ma. We ain\u2019t been this way before, so thought we would just take a look around.\u201d Hoss placed his hat back on his head and smiled at her, \u201cWe won\u2019t be more\u2019n day or two.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA day or two?\u201d Marie narrowed her eyes and turned to follow them as they led the horses from the corral, \u201cAre you two going to go out and find Clay?\u201d<\/p>\n They looked at one another, and then nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cWe thought we ought to,\u201d Adam said quietly.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy? What\u2019s to be gained by that?\u201d she asked, \u201cAdam, Clay has made his decision. He doesn\u2019t want to have anything to do with us. He left Joe here, on his own, when he really needed someone to be with him. That tells me quite clearly that Clay has washed his hands off of us.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe ain\u2019t gonna go and find him for that reason, Ma.\u201d Hoss said with a cold note in his usually warm voice, \u201cIt\u2019s time Clay learned a lesson in life, Ma. He\u2019s got to realise that what he did to Joe, and to you, was wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe told him before he left home that if anything happened to Joe, we\u2019d come looking for him. Now, Zedekiah\u2019s already hunting him down, so we may find that Clay will need some help, or, even \u2026 well, maybe not. But, Ma, I\u2019m not going to let him ride all the way to Mexico thinking he could just dump Joe here without a second thought, and then, when it suits him, have him ride back into your life sometime in the future.\u201d Adam drew himself straight and took a deep breath.<\/p>\n \u201cSo? What do you intend to do? Beat him black and blue? Shoot him? Drag him back here to apologise?\u201d Marie grabbed at his arm and pulled him round to face her, \u201cAdam, doesn\u2019t it occur to you that it doesn\u2019t matter?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course it matters, Ma.\u201d Hoss interjected, with a frown on his face.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think it does. Clay has this attitude to life that isn\u2019t going to change no matter what you do to him, no matter what you say to him. It\u2019s who he is, that\u2019s all there is to it. You may as well just let him get on with it now, be grateful that we have Joe and can go home.\u201d her pale face with its smudges under the eyes, and the rouge spots on her cheeks from the temper that was flaring up within her, softened their hearts. Hoss leaned down and kissed her, which normally would mollify her a little, and Adam did likewise.<\/p>\n \u201cTell Joe we\u2019ll see him soon,\u201d Adam said as he turned to put his foot in the stirrup,<\/p>\n \u201cAdam Cartwright!\u201d<\/p>\n He sighed and turned,<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Ma?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t you ever listen to anything I say? I told you, I don\u2019t want you going out there to find Clay. I want you to just leave him be, and to forget it.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam and Hoss looked at one another. Hoss thumbed his hat to the back of his head and scratched his scalp as though perplexed, while Adam just looked at Marie thoughtfully before turning from her,<\/p>\n \u201cI told Clay\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not interested,\u201d Marie snapped angrily.<\/p>\n \u201cLook,\u201d Adam turned back to face her, his dark eyes darkening with anger, \u201cNo one treats Joe in the way Clay has treated him. He may be your son, but what you need to remember is that while Zedekiah was shooting at Joe, Clay was playing a game of cards without any care about him at all. Clay\u2019s selfish and irresponsible, he\u2019s arrogant and thinks the whole world revolves around him. I don\u2019t like the way he treated Joe, and nor should you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy, because you told me so?\u201d Marie cried, her eyes blazing back into his.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, because Joe deserves more from you. He could have died. What point was there in riding all this way to find Joe? The point was that he could have died\u2026\u201d and he said the three words again, with emphasis, \u201cand Clay was out there without a care, without knowing. He didn\u2019t even stop to see you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t you think I don\u2019t know that?\u201d Marie cried, and tears came to her eyes, and she lowered her head, \u201cDon\u2019t you think I don\u2019t know that my son didn\u2019t want to see me, didn\u2019t care enough to see about Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam\u2019s heart immediately softened and he stepped forward and took her into his arms and held her close, as though he were back home in the yard of the Ponderosa instead of the main thoroughfare of Touchstone.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, and that\u2019s why we have to go out there and find him.\u201d Hoss growled, \u201cAnd we will find him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd what will you do then? Hog tie him and bring him back here?\u201d Marie said, wiping her eyes and stepping away from Adam.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll know what to do when we find him, Ma.\u201d Adam said quietly, \u201cBut he\u2019s got to learn that he can\u2019t treat people the way he does.\u201d<\/p>\n She sighed and shook her head, \u201cYou don\u2019t understand, a de Marigney is brought up to think that that is just the way to treat people. You won\u2019t change him.\u201d<\/p>\n They said nothing more, but mounted the horses and took the road out of town.<\/p>\n Chapter 146<\/p>\n Clay could not shake off the feeling that he was being pursued. He\u2019d had little sleep due to worrying about Murphy appearing from the shadows and gunning him down. He checked back on himself numerous times by riding back on his own trail, hiding behind the boulders and waiting to see if anyone would appear. As a result he lost time, and became increasingly frustrated. They rode at a good canter, so that Hoss could keep a close eye on the prints. At one stage he paused and dismounted to examined the prints more closely. With a grimace he looked up at Adam and nodded,<\/p>\n \u201cZedekiah\u2019s following Clay. About half a day behind him if I read these signs right.\u201d<\/p>\n They continued onwards, constantly checking and rechecking the prints. They came across Clays camp on his first night, a hastily cobbled together affair. There was no trace of Zedekiah although they did not waste much time looking for any.<\/p>\n \u201cHere\u2019s an odd thing,\u201d Hoss said as dusk was beginning to close in around them and it was time to start looking for a place to make camp for the night, \u201cIt looks like Clay must be getting worried about being followed, he\u2019s doubled back on himself.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s scared Zedekiah will creep up on him huh?\u201d Adam pushed his hat to the back of his head, and looked down at the prints, he smiled, \u201cHe must be getting pretty rattled.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTo double back on himself, I should say!\u201d Hoss grinned, \u201cHe\u2019ll lose time though and it\u2019ll mean we could find him sooner than anticipated.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam nodded and felt a certain degree of relief at the thought. He had not liked going against Marie\u2019s wishes, but he had told Clay what would happen if Joe got hurt, and he didn\u2019t like to back down, especially in view of how serious the injury had been and the callous way in which the boy had been dumped. Hoss also had issued a stern warning, and also felt the need to confront the man.<\/p>\n They snared a rabbit, and cooked it over a pleasant fire, coffee was brewed and they drank it hot and sweet. Hoss sighed,<\/p>\n \u201cShucks, I sure wish we were back home. I could just do with some of Hop Sings pancakes with maple syrup and double cream.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMmmm,\u201d Adam nodded and picked at the rabbit, a leg fell off with a splutter into the flames and he grimaced, \u201cI reckon it\u2019s cooked enough, Hoss. Do you want that one?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou can have it,\u201d Hoss grinned, after all, who really wanted a rabbits leg covered in charcoal and ash?<\/p>\n \u201cI wonder what kind of nights Clay has been having,\u201d Adam muttered, \u201cI can\u2019t see him getting much sleep if he thinks Zedekiah\u2019s going to appear out of the shadows.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe should have stayed in town with Joe. When I think about it, Adam, I get that mad with him. I know Ma didn\u2019t want us to track him down or do anything, but shucks, there\u2019s only so much a man can take from a pipsqueak like him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA pipsqueak, huh?\u201d Adam grinned, and picked meat from the bone very carefully.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s the best I could think of,\u201d Hoss pulled some meat from the carcase and licked his fingers, \u201cI can\u2019t fathom the guy out, Adam? There he was, able to have anything he wanted, just found his Ma and brother, and \u2026\u201d he shrugged, and shook his head.<\/p>\n \u201cAah, it\u2019s not worth thinking about.\u201d Adam tossed the bones into the fire, and poured out more coffee, \u201cI\u2019ll be glad to get this sorted out, and then we can get back home.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026<\/p>\n Zedekiah Murphy pulled a thin blanket over his shoulders. He had several times lost Clays tracks, and even now was not too sure if he was on the right road to finding him. He folded his arms behind his head and stared up at the sky. The stars were bright, and twinkled down at him, and the moon shyly drifted behind a cloud, to peek out bright and soft seconds later. He sighed. Everything had gone wrong with Clay Stafford being in town and taking that money. Why couldn\u2019t people understand how hard it was for a man to be beholden to someone like Adam Cartwright?<\/p>\n He could remember when little Nathan was very small and the children had been ill. His wife had been sick and it had been left to him to go into town for some groceries. He had barely a nickel to his name. Nathan had come with him. He\u2019s sat there on the wagon seat shivering and snivelling. That was when he had first met Mrs Cartwright. She saw the boy and bought him some candy from Cass\u2019 store. Then she had asked about the family. Such a pleasant manner with her, and he could remember how he had pulled off his hat and held it against his chest, flattered that she had chosen to speak to him of all people.<\/p>\n Later that day Hop Sing had arrived in the wagon with enough groceries to tide them over until he had got work again. Just enough to be acceptable as a neighbourly gesture of help, not too much to make a man feel beholden or humiliated. He\u2019d called her The Lady ever since.<\/p>\n But it was different this time. Adam Cartwright had overstepped the boundary. He\u2019d paid debts, and now that meant he, Zedekiah Murphy, was beholden to him. He hated the way his wife talked about the man as well, as though there wasn\u2019t another man like him on the planet. Well, he\u2019d show her!!<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n Clay sat with a blanket over his shoulders, and a gun in his hand. The fire was fed constantly, but he sat some distance away in the shadows, he was not going to be fool enough to be a sleeping target for any lunatic that happened by, especially by the name of Murphy.<\/p>\n He was tired and irritable. He twitched at the faintest sound. He wished he had never left New Orleans.<\/p>\n Chapter 147<\/p>\n \u201cHey, Adam, look here,\u201d Hoss beckoned over to his brother, who dismounted from his horse to examine what Hoss had found, \u201cSeems Zedekiah\u2019s closing in on Clay, and fast. It might be a good idea if we got a move on ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam surveyed the hoof prints overlaid by the fresh horse dung and nodded. Now that they were so close to finding their quarry, he wondered just exactly what they would do with him. Then the thought came, as it had so often during the past few days, what if Zedekiah DID find him first.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2018re right, Hoss, let\u2019s move.\u201d he said hastily, and with a slap on Hoss\u2019 arm, he hurried to remount the horse, wishing as he did so that he had retained the services of his own horse who seemed to know exactly what his master required at a single touch of the reins.<\/p>\n There was only one direction to take through the boulder strewn landscape around them and they galloped with quite frenzied speed forwards. Zedekiahs determined stalking of Clay seemed to underline some fundamental flaw in the mans mental capabilities, or perhaps a lack of emotional ones. To pursue a man for weeks on end, to find him and let him go and then to continue that pursuit appeared, to Adam and Hoss, the actions of a man totally deranged by hatred.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n Zedekiah paused by the camp fire and dismounted to approach it. It was still warm, several hours old. With a smile of grim triumph he remounted the horse and continued onwards. He loosened his rifle in its sheath, and the pistol in its holster. Once he caught sight of his quarry this time, he was determined not to let him go.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n Clay could sense that the net was closing in on him. He told himself that he had had those self same feelings now for some time \u2026 wasn\u2019t that the reason he had kept doubling back on himself? Perhaps now he should retreat to higher ground and keep a watch for his pursuer. He jerked the horses head around and spurred it onwards,up through the scree and slowly began to thread his way around the boulders. He had not long to wait as the thud of hoof beats reached his ears. Dismounting he slithered between some rocks and waited for his pursuer to appear.<\/p>\n Zedekiah drew his horse to a halt and glanced warily around the apparently deserted mesa. If he carried on he would no doubt relocate the prints of the horse he had been following. He urged the horse into a slow walk while he scanned the ground as he passed. It was not difficult to find the place where Clay had turned off, and he was about to follow suit when a rifle sounded a warning shot. The bullet zipped pass his ear.<\/p>\n He dismounted quickly, and desperately looked around him for cover. Finding a strategic place he scrambled behind some rocks and waited his chance for Clay to reveal himself.<\/p>\n Clay wiped sweat from his brow, and glanced cautiously over the rocks to locate Murphy. He was promptly greeted with several bullets being fired up at him in quick succession which sent him back to hiding behind his rock. Perhaps if he could just inch his way along this level and gradually creep around behind Murphy he could gain some advantage over him. Anything was better than being pinned down behind the rocks like this. He looked towards his horse, but it had skittered off some distance away. He cursed beneath his breath, for water and fresh ammunition were with the beast, and he knew that to reach the horse he would have to expose himself to Murphys rifle.<\/p>\n He fired a shot in Zedekiahs direction and then made a move, which proved his downfall, literally, for the scree was loose, far too loose to take his weight, and as his foot slipped from under him, Clay Stafford was sent sprawling rather ignominiously downwards, landing bruised and battered and fully exposed to his adversary. His rifle had been pulled from his hand in his descent. He put his hand to his holster, and with relief, felt the reassuring butt of his pistol.<\/p>\n \u201cThat wasn\u2019t very clever, was it?\u201d Zedekiah sneered, and fired off a shot that glanced off the rock just above Clays head.<\/p>\n Scrambling along on elbows and knees Clay managed to reach the only possible hiding place he could find, and he crouched within it, hoping that it would be adequate. He took out his pistol and checked the chambers, six bullets. He reached into his pocket for a further supply and found \u2026 a pack of cards.<\/p>\n Chapter 149<\/p>\n Momentarily Clay could not believe his eyes. Surely he had put a fresh box of cartridges in his pocket? What good would a pack of cards be to him now?<\/p>\n Some distance away Adam and Hoss paused, looked at one another, and urged their horses onwards towards the sound of the bullets.<\/p>\n \u201cSeems Zedekiah caught up with Clay?\u201d Hoss yelled.<\/p>\n Adam said nothing. He could only think that it would be terrible for Marie to know her first born son had been killed, and that they had been so close to preventing it. Zedekiah raised his head, a slight frown on his brow as the lack of movement from Clays direction indicated a problem. Had he actually killed his Nemesis, for such Clay had become to the wretched man? Or was Clay playing possum?<\/p>\n He raised his head further, and scanned the rocks until he felt his eyes would drop out of his head. He moved along a little distance, edging closer, and his rifle steady in his hands.<\/p>\n A bullet struck the rock next to him chipping splinters that cut into his face. He felt the momentary pain and raised his hand, his fingers came away bloody. He growled in his throat like a wounded animal, and fired several shots in return.<\/p>\n Clay returned the fire, and in doing so carelessly fired off two bullets that he could ill afford to lose. He was now down to three and knew that he had to take more care. Perhaps he could lure his assailant out into the open and then shoot him.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, Murphy, why don\u2019t you come out from behind that rock and fight like a gentleman?\u201d<\/p>\n He received gun fire that flattened out around him.<\/p>\n \u201cYou know, a gentleman isn\u2019t a coward? He doesn\u2019t hide behind rocks and such, he faces up to the man, so why can\u2019t you? Or is it that you are a coward? Is that it, Murphy? Are you scared? Is that why you\u2019re hiding behind that rock?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI ain\u2019t no coward,\u201d Zedekiah yelled back, \u201cOnly a coward cheats at cards from people who can\u2019t afford to lose.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOnly an idiot plays cards if he knows he can\u2019t afford to lose.\u201d<\/p>\n Zedekiah inched his way down through the rocks, keeping his head low. He could see part of Clay\u2019s leg protruding from behind a boulder and he aimed. With a hiss of annoyance Clay withdrew his leg, and Zedekiah lowered the rifle, and inched down a little further.<\/p>\n He heard the sound of hoof beats, and raised his head to see who was riding towards them. Clay sent off a shot that took Zedekiah\u2019s hat off and made Zedekiah appreciate the fact that if he were to meet Clay in a gentleman\u2019s way of gunplay, he would not stand much of a chance.<\/p>\n He reached for his hat and gave a startled yell of surprise as something sharp and red hot pierced his skin. It was only then he heard the sound of the rattle, but the warning came too late, even as he took a pot shot at the snake, his wrist was already throbbing as the poison began its slow passage along his arm.<\/p>\n Chapter 151<\/p>\n \u201cHey, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam glanced anxiously over at Hoss and raised his eyebrows,<\/p>\n \u201cD\u2019you hear anything?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam shook his head. The silence was more chilling than the moments when there had been sporadic shooting. He passed his hand over his face and clenched his teeth. Perhaps they had killed each other and they would be taking two corpses home. He looked about him; everywhere was still, silent.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n \u201cHey? You?\u201d<\/p>\n Clay jerked his head upright and leaned forward to hear his assailant\u2019s words; he drew back the trigger of his gun very slowly and raised it, ready to fire \u2026<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m listening.\u201d he answered, he straightened his arm, aimed in the direction of the voice.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been bitten. Rattlesnake. I need help.\u201d<\/p>\n Clay\u2019s aim faltered, he lowered the gun, and then shook his head, he wasn\u2019t going to fall for that one, he raised his arm once again.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not stupid, Murphy. Why don\u2019t you just come out and show yourself. Throw your rifle over the rock and walk on out here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo you can shoot me? Do you think I\u2019m crazy?\u201d Zedekiah squeezed on his arm, anything to try to stop the poison travelling up his arm. Compress the veins, the arteries, stop it all pumping around. He had a knife, but it was in his back pocket, no, it wasn\u2019t, it was in the saddlebags with his horse. He was going to die.<\/p>\n \u201cSo where did it get you, this rattlesnake? In the leg? In the arm? What about the back of the neck?\u201d Clay looked above the rock, the gun poised ready. He had three bullets left. Just three bullets.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the arm. It\u2019s spreading fast. Hearts beating fast.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s because you\u2019re scared.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFor heavens sake, man, if you believe me, come and help me.\u201d Zedekiah cried, \u201cHave you a knife?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot on me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve one in the saddlebags. The poison has to be cut out soon \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Clay moved forwards, slowly, the gun ready to fire if necessary. He was now in open view, and yet hesitating to go further. What if it was a ruse and he had left the protective shelter of the rocks to be shot down now?<\/p>\n He couldn\u2019t even see the horses anywhere. He licked his lips nervously. Could he go now, make his escape, leave the man to die now? The poison would kill him, and he\u2019d go crazy with pain, lack of water. He\u2019d die horribly. He shook his head and grimaced. Only moments ago he was prepared to put a bullet in the man, it didn\u2019t matter then if he died, did it? So what was the difference now?<\/p>\n He took a deep breath and looked around him. A movement caught his eye and he breathed a sigh of relief as he recognised his horse. Still with the gun in his hand he hurried towards it, his eyes constantly on the cluster of rocks among which Zedekiah Murphy was, if what he said was true, dying.<\/p>\n But it was a horrible way to die, and to be alone as well. Clay hesitated once more.<\/p>\n \u201cHelp me, Stafford. For pities sake, help me. I have a family of small children. Think of them.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou never thought of them just now. What if I\u2018d shot you dead?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou couldn\u2019t hit a barn door.\u201d Zedekiah gave a half sob as he said the words. \u201cI can\u2019t \u2026 I need help.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThrow out your rifle first. Then your pistol.\u201d<\/p>\n The rifle was tossed over the rocks and clattered down onto the track, swiftly followed by the gun. Clay nodded and although he put the safety catch on his gun, he kept it in his hand.<\/p>\n Zedekiah stood up, he was clasping his arm and his face mirrored the pain he was already experiencing, a pain that was more in the mind that in actuality. His lips were dry, and his eyes were standing out in their sockets with fear.<\/p>\n \u201cHelp me, Stafford.\u201d he begged, reaching out with one hand, and then he crumpled onto his haunches, his head lolling upon his chest.<\/p>\n Clay holstered his gun, and ran to the man. He hauled him out into the open, and then looked at the snakebite. The poison was spreading up the arm more rapidly than he had expected. He bit his lip, and looked down at the victim who was going rather waxy in appearance with the sheen of sweat glistening on his face.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do I do?\u201d he asked, \u201cI\u2019ve not seen anyone bitten by a snake before?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGet a knife. Get the poison out.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow do I do that?\u201d Clay asked, staring as though hypnotised at the arm with the distended veins that were knotted and gnarled, and pulsing with life and death as blood containing the venom was being pumped towards the heart.<\/p>\n \u201cGet the knife.\u201d Zedekiah hissed.<\/p>\n Clay knew he had a knife, a good sharp one, in the saddlebags on his horse. It took some minutes to get to the horse, search through the saddle bags, and bring out the knife. He pulled it out of its sheath, and ran back to Zedekiah.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do I do now?\u201d he asked. \u201cClay, don\u2019t do it \u2026\u201d Hoss yelled, drawing out his gun.<\/p>\n \u201cFor pities sake, Clay \u2026\u201d Adam yelled, and dismounted from his horse even before it had stopped moving. \u201cPut the knife down, Clay, put it down.\u201d<\/p>\n Chapter 152<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Clay looked rather startled when he saw Adam and Hoss running towards him with their guns drawn. Zedekiah continued to writhe and squirm on the ground, holding his arm, and looking a ghastly green colour.<\/p>\n He stood up, and stepped away from Murphy as the two brothers approached warily. Then he realised what was going on in their minds and shook his head,<\/p>\n \u201cLook, he\u2019s been bitten by a snake. Yelling blue murder and saying he\u2019s going to die. I came down to help him but to tell you the truth I don\u2019t really know how to handle snake bites.\u201d he looked from one to the other of them, and looked rather contrite at the cold glare they gave him.<\/p>\n It was Hoss who knelt by Zedekiah\u2019s side and looked at his arm, he asked Murphy if he saw what kind of snake it was, to which Zedekiah cursed and swore at him for being such an idiot in asking such a tom fool question.<\/p>\n \u201cIt does help to know what kind of snake it is,\u201d Adam said slowly, peering down at the puncture marks and the red lines that traversed from it, \u201cthat way we can tell if the poison spreads quickly or not.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, and the bigger the snake, the more poison he can inject into the wound,\u201d Hoss added, pulling out a knife, and tearing Murphys sleeve along the seam, \u201cMy oh my, Adam, this is sure some bite alright. Good thing we came along otherwise poor old Zedekiah would be a dead goner within another ten minutes I\u2019d reckon.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMmm, yup, I reckon you\u2019re right,\u201d Adam nodded, playing the game for all he was worth, \u201cI\u2019d say that was fair galloping along, Hoss, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss nodded, and raised his eyebrows,<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you think I should do, Adam? Just cut his arm off at the elbow? Or slice through the veins so the blood and poison come out.\u201d he frowned as though giving it serious concern.<\/p>\n Zedekiah had by now fainted.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t you have to suck the poison out somehow?\u201d Clay asked tentatively.<\/p>\n The two brothers turned to look at him as though they had only just remembered he was there, they looked him up and down, and then looked at one another,<\/p>\n \u201cYou deal with Zedekiah and I\u2019ll deal with Clay,\u201d Adam said coldly, his mood changing at the sight of Clay Stafford, and the comic banter between them dropped as Hoss began to deal with the injury Zedekiah had sustained and Adam turned and walked towards Clay.<\/p>\n \u201cI – ,\u201d Clay began and stepped back when he saw the darkness of Adam\u2019s eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cRemember what I told you before you left the Ponderosa?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou said a lot of things,\u201d Clay groaned, as he watched Adam slowly unbuckle his gunbelt.<\/p>\n \u201cI said, and I believe Hoss also told you, that if anything happened to Joe, I\u2019d find you, and beat the hide off\u2019n you, remember now?\u201d<\/p>\n Clay frowned and put his hand to his mouth, and then nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t believe that you let that happen to Joe. I can\u2019t believe that you would ride out and leave him on his own like you did.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI knew you were on the way, you two, and Ma.\u201d Clay stammered.<\/p>\n \u201cYou left Joe. You left him on his own, rode out without a thought to his well being\u2026oh, what\u2019s that? Did I hear you asking how he is now? No, I didn\u2019t think I did!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAdam, look, I – how is he? Is he alright?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs he alright?\u201d Adam repeated coldly, and then turned to look at Hoss who was handing Zedekiah a canteen of water, \u201cHoss, tell Clay how Joe is now, will you? Then after that, I\u2019m going to beat the life out of him.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss jumped up, and hurried over to join his brother, he glared haughtily at Clay as though the man was hardly worthy of any attention.<\/p>\n \u201cI thought I was going to deal with him?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m the oldest. Tell him how Joe is \u2026\u201d and Adam gave his brother a cold glare, Hoss raised an eyebrow and then turned to Clay,<\/p>\n \u201cAre you actually interested?\u201d he asked coldly.<\/p>\n \u201cOf course I\u2019m interested,\u201d Clay snapped, \u201cHe\u2019s my brother isn\u2019t he?\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss raised his eyebrows and looked at Adam as though he found the answer incredible,<\/p>\n \u201cHear that? He says he\u2019s interested, remembers Joe actually is his brother.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWonders will never cease \u2026\u201d Adam muttered sarcastically and clenched his fists.<\/p>\n \u201cI was going to send a cable at the next town I reached. I was delayed because that idiot was following me. Of course I\u2019m concerned about Joe, one of the reasons I left was to protect him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReally? How were you going to do that by running out on him?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cZedekiah said he was going to kill me. Joe could have been in the line of fire, he could have been killed\u2026\u201d his voice petered out, and he licked dry lips, \u201cHe was nearly killed, because of me anyway.\u201d then his eyes widened and he looked at them both standing coldly in front of him, \u201cHe \u2026 he is alright, isn\u2019t he? He hasn\u2019t died?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe hasn\u2019t, has he, Mr Cartwright?\u201d Zedekiah cried from behind them, clutching his bandaged arm, and looking appealing at them both, \u201cI promise you, I never meant to hurt Joe. If I\u2019d been sober I would never have even aimed my gun at him. It was that skunk I wanted to kill.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAlright. Enough already!\u201d Adam raised a hand for silence and looked from one to the other of them, \u201cJoe\u2019s made a good recovery. He\u2019s out of the woods and hoping to come home with us when we leave. But -.\u201d he paused and looked at Zedekiah, \u201cHow are things with you now, Zedekiah? Mr Stafford here tried to help you when you thought you were dying. Do you think that rather cancels out the matter you held against him?\u201d<\/p>\n Zedekiah frowned, and then he got to his feet and approached them. He glared sullenly at Stafford, and then at Adam,<\/p>\n \u201cFair enough, he could have ridden off and left me to die. I don\u2019t care nothing\u2019 about him no more anyhow. He\u2019s a cheat and a liar. I don\u2019t hold no truck with cheats who run out on their brothers.\u201d he looked at Adam and sighed, \u201cI guess I owe you an apology, Adam,I got so het up about everything that I wasn\u2019t seeing straight. I should have been thanking you, rather than getting so mad about it all.\u201d he put out his hand and managed a wry smile when Adam accepted it with a warm grip. When Clay extended his, however, Zedekiah turned away. \u201cI\u2019ll be getting back home.\u201d he passed Hoss, \u201cThanks, Hoss, for looking after my arm. It hardly hurts at all now.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss smiled and said nothing. It wasn\u2019t such a severe bite, Zedekiah had hardly been in danger of losing his life, and would only suffer a little tenderness and bruising in the affected area.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat about you, Clay? What are you going to do now?\u201d Adam asked quietly.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you mean? I thought you were going to beat me to a pulp, and then what was left give me to your brother to play with?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNow look, Clay, sarcasm really doesn\u2019t suit you, especially when I\u2019m in a particularly bad mood with you anyway. Just tell me whether or not you\u2019ll be returning to Touchstone with us.\u201d<\/p>\n Clay gulped. He watched as Zedekiah rode down the track towards Touchstone. He looked at Hoss and Adam and shook his head,<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve made the break now, I can\u2019t go back. I shouldn\u2019t have come to the Ponderosa, I should have just left well alone, and not raked over the ashes of the dead. It would have been better for Ma to have kept believing her son had died at birth. Tell her I\u2019m sorry but I can\u2019t go back.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam began to buckle up his gunbelt, and then glanced up at Clay with a cold scathing look of contempt. By his side, Hoss clenched his fists. He knew only too well how hard this was going to be for Marie, and the thought of her sad little face when they told her that Clay didn\u2019t want to see her again made him so angry that he grabbed hold of Clay\u2019s arm and pulled him back a step or two,<\/p>\n \u201cNow, you look here, Clay Stafford. You managed to squirm out of a beating from us, but only because, to tell you the truth, you just ain\u2019t worth wasting time on. You haven\u2019t even got the guts to go back there and tell Ma to her face that you don\u2019t want to go back with us, and you left Joe when he needed you, and don\u2019t feel you can face him now\u2026 Zedekiah was right, you\u2019re a cheat, and a liar, and a coward.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not a coward.\u201d Clay growled, \u201cAnd I don\u2019t cheat \u2026\u201d \u201cWhy\u2019d you do that?\u201d Clay yelled, holding his jaw and wincing in pain.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause I couldn\u2019t think of the words that would sum up how I felt about ya, that\u2019s why\u201d came Hoss\u2019 honest reply.<\/p>\n Without looking backwards at Clay Stafford, the two brothers mounted their horses, turned them around and immediately headed back to town. Clay stood in the middle of the track watching them go, the dust cloud slowly settled back, but still he stood there, nursing his jaw, and feeling a sudden emptiness in his being that had never existed there before.<\/p>\n Chapter 153 She composed her face to smile, and she stretched out her hands to welcome them, and offered her cheek to be kissed. Then she stepped back and asked the question she did not want to ask but just had to,<\/p>\n \u201cDid you find Clay?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam nodded and took hold of one of her hands, which he held loosely in his own. Hoss sighed and lowered his head,<\/p>\n \u201cYou didn\u2019t – didn\u2019t hurt him, did you?\u201d she asked – that was the second question she knew she had to ask and had dreaded doing so.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, he wasn\u2019t hurt,\u201d Adam assured her, \u201cBut he felt that he had made the break now, and he didn\u2019t want to come back with us. He was sorry for any hurt he had caused you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, Ma, he was real sorry,\u201d Hoss replied, and then, thin lipped, he turned away from them and walked over to where Joe had been standing, waiting for them, \u201cHow are you, Shortshanks?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m alright, Hoss. How was Clay? Was he – did he say anything about me?\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss paused. He was never very good at lying, people tended to know right away if he was spinning a tale, but this time he smiled and nodded,<\/p>\n \u201cHe was sorry but thought he was doing the right thing by leaving, Joe. He was asking after you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou didn\u2019t give him a belting, did you? Or Adam?\u201d the hazel eyes twinkled, as though Joe found the thought of it amusing, unbelievable, and so Hoss smiled again,<\/p>\n \u201c\u2019Course not, shucks, the thought never entered our minds.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut he didn\u2019t want to come back?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNah, he had other things to do.\u201d Joe frowned, \u201cHe and Zedekiah met up, you know? Zedekiah got bitten by a snake and Clay went to help him out. I guess Zedekiah got such a shock at the thought of dying that he stopped hating. Odd really, he never stopped to think he could have got shot and died during a shoot off with Clay. Folk never cease to amaze me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs he going to Mexico?\u201d Joe asked, unwittingly piling on the pressure on his hapless brother who squirmed a little,<\/p>\n \u201cI guess so, he didn\u2019t say. He said he\u2019d write as soon as he reached the next township.\u201d he remembered Clay saying that sometime during the conversation. He rubbed his knuckles unconsciously, relishing the satisfaction of having giving Clay the experience of a Cartwright upper cut to the jaw.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd so, you didn\u2019t hit him or anything like that?\u201d Joe asked again, noticing Hoss\u2019 action and knowing his brother too well to ignore it just had to ask. Hoss gulped and shrugged,<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I gave him just an itsy-bitsy thump, not enough to worry about.\u201d he assured Joe who smiled and slapped his brother warmly, affectionately, on the back.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n Adam watched as his step mother turned away from him. She had smiled, listened and nodded her head several times as he had told her about their meeting up with Clay. Then she had sighed, squeezed his hand gently and then left him.<\/p>\n If only it had been different, he thought. If only Clay had come all those years earlier and settled into life with them on the Ponderosa, perhaps the de Marigney curse would not have defined his life course to this one of irresponsibility and selfishness. He followed her with his eyes as she went up the stairs to her room.<\/p>\n With an effort he turned away from all thoughts of Clay, and approached Joe and Hoss. He gave Joe a brotherly hug, but said nothing. For some reason he could not explain, this \u2018little\u2019 brother of his suddenly seemed doubly precious.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n Marie sat down on the chair in the hotel room and looked about her at the bare walls, the impersonal cell of the passing visitor. So Clay had not wanted to return to see her, or Joe. He had never really loved her. He had never really loved Joe.<\/p>\n Logic pointed out to her that she was, after all, just a stranger to him. Joe was nothing more than a good friend with expectations that Clay could not, or would not, meet. It would have been better had they never known of his existence because whereas there had always been an empty ache in her heart for her missing baby, now she had raw pain eating her up for the son who did not love her enough to even have that final conversation, that last good bye.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t cry over him,\u201d she told herself, \u201che isn\u2019t worth it.\u201d and then she promptly burst into tears. She buried her face in her hands and sobbed.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m alright for travelling now,\u201d Joe told his brothers as he stood at the bar with them. The three glasses of beer stood before them, and Hoss picked up his and gulped it down, then wiped his mouth on the back of his hand,<\/p>\n \u201cThat cut the dust from my throat,\u201d he muttered, \u201cHOw about another round?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAre you paying?\u201d Adam asked, and smiled.<\/p>\n \u201cThree more beers,\u201d Hoss ordered and he pushed his hat to the back of his head and sighed, \u201cWal, it\u2019s good to know that we can be getting on home now. Back to the usual routine. Knowing that when we open our eyes in the morning we know exactly what chores await us throughout the day. Thanks, Mister.\u201d he took his glass and sighed, \u201cShucks, I forgot.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cForgot what?\u201d Adam asked, putting down the first glass, now empty.<\/p>\n \u201cMa.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat about Ma?\u201d Joe asked, with a slight anxiety in his eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cWal, she\u2019s gonna be miserable for a while because of Clay.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh yeah, that. Yeah, I guess she will be,\u201d Joe sighed.<\/p>\n \u201cPerhaps we can think of a diversion.\u201d Adam suggested, leaning on the counter and looking at them both, \u201cSome kind of party?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s right, a party. That\u2019ll take her mind off\u2019n things.\u201d Joe beamed, and his eyes twinkled, \u201cI\u2019ve an idea.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss frowned and looked at Adam, then at Joe.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t, Joe. Don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t what?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t start having any ideas yet awhile. Let\u2019s get home first.\u201d Marie had never felt so overwhelmed upon returning home as she did several days later. Riding into the yard and just seeing the house standing there, as though wearing its best smile to greet her, gave a lift to her heart.<\/p>\n Although the journey home had been taken at a more leisurely pace, the four of them had not lingered, nor had they wanted to do so. The Ponderosa was home and home was where they most wished to be right then. She stood in the doorway, and as she had done so often over the years, looked immediately at the portrait of Ben. Beside her, their son looked at his father. Together they turned to look at one another and smiled.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s good to be home again, isn\u2019t it, son?\u201d she said and entwined her fingers into his, \u201cI just wish that \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know, Ma, and so do I. But sometimes what we wish for isn\u2019t always what we need to make us really happy, is it?\u201d<\/p>\n She looked at him, and wondered how did her little boy suddenly grow to be so wise. She nodded, and looked again at Bens portrait,<\/p>\n \u201cI wish \u2026\u201d then she stopped and shook her head, and walked into the room.<\/p>\n \u201cI wish the same thing, Ma. I wish Pa were sitting there in his chair reading a book, puffing away at his smelly old pipe and asking us why we\u2019ve been gone so long. I wish that every time I look at his portrait when I walk through that door.\u201d<\/p>\n She nodded. That was just what she wished, exactly what she wished. She swallowed the lump in her throat and smiled at Joe once again before turning to go into the kitchen.<\/p>\n Hop Sing was already making his way to greet her, which he did profusely and gladly. He looked at Joe and lamented at the bad arm. How happy he was, how good things were, now that they were all home. He did not mention Clay at all. Marie did not either.<\/p>\n \u201cI make special good supper for meal tonight.\u201d Hop Sing declared.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m starving, Hop Sing, I\u2019ve missed your cooking.\u201d Joe cried, trailing into the kitchen after him, just to see what things were left hanging around that he could sample.<\/p>\n Adam and Hoss were the next to come in through the door. It was Hoss who closed it behind him. Marie noticed how both of them glanced immediately over at the portrait. It had become, she thought, like a religious ritual, the reason for their being here, Ben Cartwright.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, Ma, glad to be home?\u201d Adam asked, smiling over at her with his dark eyes twinkling.<\/p>\n \u201cMore than you\u2019ll ever know,\u201d she replied with such warmth and pleasure that any dark clouds that had hovered overhead due to Clay promptly disappeared. Adam approached and put his arm about her shoulders.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m glad you\u2019re happy, Ma.\u201d he said softly, and gave her a hug, which she responded to by slipping her arm around his waist.<\/p>\n \u201cI am happy, Adam. Only one thing would make me happier, and that would be to see Ben sitting there.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam said nothing to that, but nodded. Yes, that was the only thing that could make any of them feel complete, feel happier. She sighed,<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019ll never be a man like Ben for me, Adam. No one could ever take his place, never.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNever\u2019s a long time, Ma.\u201d he said softly.<\/p>\n \u201cThirteen years is a long time, time enough for me to know, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam looked once again at the portrait, at the proud stubborn lines of the face that had stared down at them for all of those years and more. He could hear his father\u2019s voice now, the depth of it, the resonance of it, and the way the near black eyes would darken with anger, with laughter, and with sadness and joy. The way the generous mouth would smile \u2026 no, there was no one in this world who could ever replace Ben Cartwright.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The End<\/p>\n
\n\u201cShucks, do you think we should?\u201d Hoss\u2019 brow crinkled in concern. The last thing he wanted was a confrontation with Mr Carter in the bank. It would be far more preferable to meet him over one of Hop Sings meals at the Ponderosa, when everyone would be relaxed.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cI can\u2019t remember anything being said about it except that you were ambushed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\u201cOf course. Roy knew as well. There seemed little point in making more of it than there was, after all, Pa was dead, and nothing seemed as important as that, not really.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nAnd died of his injuries there. Roy tracked down the other two men and they were duly put on trial and hanged for murder.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nJoe turned as he heard the crunch of footsteps on the gravel . He shrugged when he saw Adam approaching and turned to lean against the corral fence, his arms folded upon the top bar.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cWell, it didn\u2019t happen,\u201d Adam shuffled some dirt about with his foot, creating a little mound and then smoothing it out again.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cHi, Evie,\u201d Joseph Cartwright tipped his hat and smiled at the young woman who was stepping out of the Bank, \u201cHow are you to-day?\u201d<\/p>\n
\nMarie paused in the middle of the yard, her horse\u2019s reins in her hand. At the sound of her voice David Carter stopped, and turned towards her.<\/p>\n
\nFrom the window of the study Adam watched them ride away. With a feeling of foreboding welling up inside of him, he turned back to the desk and sat down in his father\u2019s chair. A woman who kissed a man like that was going to be hard to convince that she was playing with a fire that could burn her and destroy her family. He once again turned his attention to the papers on the desk, the papers that David Carter had been rifling through, and began to put them in order. Title Deeds to land, proof of ownership of mines, timber; shares in various companies; all the legal documents that proved that the Ponderosa, all one thousand square miles of it, belonged to Ben Cartwright.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cExactly\u2026what about us?\u201d Adam sighed. \u201cI\u2019ve got to find that Will, Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nBut, he could sense, that the time for passion was gone, Marie\u2019s mind was now concentrating on the problems her son and step-sons could cause in the future.
\nHe frowned slightly and sighed as he did not want to have this intrusion into these few brief hours together, and he released her hand, and clasped his own hands between his knees as though in deep thought.<\/p>\n
\nIt was a strange, uncomfortable meal. The three men and Marie were too aware of the tensions among themselves to relax and enjoy one another\u2019s company as had been the case for so long.<\/p>\n
\nDavid Carter stretched out his long legs and clasped his hands behind his head as he relaxed in the big chair by the fire in his house in Virginia City. Oh, everything was going so well. Marie, beautiful Marie, was eating out of his hand. He had the papers he needed. Not that they were that important really. Having Marie as his wife was what really was important. Once he had the ring on his finger, then everything else would just fall into his hands.<\/p>\n
\nBen had taught Adam all he knew, and what he hadn\u2019t known, they both learned as they went along. Each evening Adam had been shown how to draw up ledgers, keep the accounts, organise the working shifts for the next day, or week. Ben had shown him how to work out men\u2019s wages, even how to tally up the house-keeping with Hop Sing and Marie\u2019s rather haphazard accounts.<\/p>\n
\nNow the house was still and in darkness. Adam stood up and walked to the door, taking down his hat and the yellow coat. Outside the darkness wrapped around the house like a cocoon, shutting out even the luminaries of the night sky. He walked quickly to the stable and hurriedly saddled Sport, mounted up and rode out slowly, as quietly as possible in order to waken no one.<\/p>\n
\nChapter 12<\/p>\n
\n\u201cWell what?\u201d
\n\u201cWell, how is your plan working out?\u201d
\nJoe frowned and glanced at his brother before signalling to Hank to pour another beer into his glass,<\/p>\n
\nMatt Fraser had been a friend of Ben Cartwrights although he was some years younger. Like Ben he had been widowed, unlike Ben he had been childless. However, he owned a large spread which bordered onto the Ponderosa, the water that fed the water holes on Ponderosa land were supplied by the river that ran through Matt\u2019s land. It had been a good friendship and when Ben had died, Matt had grieved as though he had lost a brother.<\/p>\n
\n_________________<\/p>\n
\n\u201cThere were times, before, when you had everything. Don\u2019t you remember?\u201d Evie put a gentle hand on her mothers arm and steered her to her room, while with the other hand she closed the door to her own.<\/p>\n
\nJoseph Cartwright walked into the room with an ache in his heart and a storm in his head. From the moment Matt Fraser had uttered those fatal words about Marie\u2019s marriage, he had felt himself sinking from light hearted optimism into a black hole of despair. Overe and over again he turned the subject of David Carter upside down in his mind.<\/p>\n
\nAdam rode into the yard just as Joe left the house. One look at his youngest brother was sufficient for Adam to realise that the youngster had received the news about Marie\u2019s marriage. It was also sufficient for him to see it had not made Joe very happy. He looked around for Hoss, and saw him loitering by the stable door and after meeting Hoss\u2019 eyes and raising his eyebrows in question, he dismounted.<\/p>\n
\nAdam looked from one to the other of them, \u201cWe have only three weeks to prove to her that David Carter is the one man she should not even think of marrying. So?\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\u201cSmells interesting?\u201d Adam said as he passed the door of Joe\u2019s room. He peered inside and smiled as he watched his brother smoothing pomade onto his thick mane of hair, \u201cAnyone special?\u201d<\/p>\n
\nMarie Cartwright took care with her dressing that evening. She coiled her hair in a style that she hoped was modern, and put some small velvet flowers in amongst the curls. The flowers were the same colour as her dress, a soft green with a deeper green collar trimmed with lace.<\/p>\n
\nfriend.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n********
\nIf David Carter had been a cockerel he would have been crowing. The Mayor had been in deep conversation with him and invited him to become a member of the Town Council. He was bursting with pride, and longing for Marie to arrive to share the news with her. Within his pocket he had a small velvet covered box that contained a ring that had been in his family for generations. He was confident that the news of his prestigious appointment and the sight of the ring would dispel any doubts she could possibly have about their commitment to one another. With a sigh of contentment he glanced around the room and awaited her arrival.<\/p>\n
\nIt was Hoss who gently lifted Sophia up into his arms and after glancing over at Evie and Joe, carried her from the room, and out of the building.<\/p>\n
\nDavid Carter wiped a sheen of sweat from his face with a handkerchief and hurried to his desk. From one drawer he produced a glass and a bottle of whiskey. He poured himself a liberal amount before opening another drawer and producing the derringer.<\/p>\n
\nDavid Carter walked to the window and watched the man walk away into the shadows. From the hall he could hear the strains of music and laughter. His hand returned to his pocket and he withdrew the small velvet box. Opening it he looked at the ring and smiled, then he snapped the box shut. Marie Cartwright would be a fool to say no when he saw her again.<\/p>\n
\nChapter 18
\nChambers was a methodical man. He was also a man who believed in keeping very much in the background. Too many gunfighters, gunmen, call them what you will, liked to advertise their profession. They tended to go in for the low slung gunbelts and the dark clothes. They began to groom an air about them so that people who came into contact with them could almost smell the aura of death about them.<\/p>\n
\nHe stood up and picked up his hat and the valise on the bed. He was unarmed. A well built good looking man, pleasant, yes, all those things, but nothing that really stood out to mark him as – well – someone who got paid for tidying other people\u2019s messes.<\/p>\n
\nAdam Cartwright looked through the envelopes and frowned thoughtfully. The one he was particularly hoping for had not arrived. He put them all in his saddlebags and crossed the road to the hardware store where he placed his order and was assured that everything was in stock and would be ready by the time Hoss came in later to collect it in the wagon.<\/p>\n
\nThe door opened to his knock and he found himself face to face with Mrs Allen, the wife of the town\u2019s newspaper Editor. He slipped his hat off,<\/p>\n
\nChambers drove to an area that he had noticed the previous day when he was doing his \u2018research\u2019. He then turned the buggy round and headed back towards town. He pulled the horses up at a convenient outcrop of rocks and deftly disconnected the back wheel so that the buggy lurched down onto its axle. He then made his way over the rocks and prepared himself to wait.<\/p>\n
\nHe couldn\u2019t remember opening his eyes but the darkness was far less now. He remained as he had fallen, with his head to one side, staring blankly at the rock just inches from him. The thought occurred to him that had he fallen just a fraction more to the left his head would have been smashed against that rock and he would have been killed. The irony did not go amiss and he closed his eyes again in silent inward mirth.<\/p>\n
\nThere was music and hands clapping. A fiddle played, its notes soaring up into the night sky. There was laughter and in the laughter there was excitement, pleasure. Adam clapped his hands and laughed, he looked up at the man standing by his side.<\/p>\n
\nChapter 21
\nEvelyn Cartier Templeton suddenly stopped her crying, instead she stared up at the ceiling of her room as a thought crept unbidden into her head. She traced back to the time David Carter had first approached her. He had been polite and pleasant, had shown no interest in her mother whatsoever, but had flattered her into thinking she was the prettiest thing in town.<\/p>\n
\n.
\nHaving done what he had to do, Willy adjusted his clothing and turned to go back the way he had come. His foot slipped. Thrusting out a hand to stop his fall the boy felt his fingers touch something wet and sticky. He looked at his hand for a full minute, baffled as to what it was and how it could have got there. Then, howling, he bounded down the rocks to the wagon,<\/p>\n
\nJenny examined the bloodied hand carefully, her anxiety decreasing somewhat when she realised her son was unscathed.<\/p>\n
\nAdam sighed and opened his eyes, someone was calling for his Ma, that must be Joe again. What did the boy want now? He struggled to get into a sitting position, and couldn\u2019t understand why it was so difficult,<\/p>\n
\nJoe sighed, put his book to one side and got to his feet. He pushed his fingers through his hair and started towards the door, only to have it pushed open from outside and Hank Myers practically fell into the room,<\/p>\n
\nWhat kind of world was this, she pondered, when a man can leave home and in a few hours come home dead, shot to death. She shook her head, no, she was thinking of Ben, that was how it had been when Ben left her, no one had said Adam was dead. He\u2019d come home. He\u2019d be alright. She bowed her head, he had to come home, he had to be alright.
\nEvie knocked on the glass paned door with the gold lettering that declared the logo \u201cDavid Carter. Manager.\u201d She stared at it for a little while, before pushing it open.<\/p>\n
\nShe stared at him, saw the look on his face and knew she had been right, that her mother in her dying hours had seen the man she had loved and had condemned her to the misery of her life.<\/p>\n
\nHe looked at his wife and then at his son, and shook his head, \u201cThis ain\u2019t good, honey. We\u2019re wasting time here, and we can\u2019t afford to do that, else he\u2019ll be a dead \u2018un before you knows it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\u201cMorning, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n
\nChapter 24<\/p>\n
\n\u201cYes, Ma\u2019am, Mrs Cartwright?\u201d
\nHank Myers had been examing Adam\u2019s saddle with a little more careful scrutiny than he had previously, but now he dropped it back onto the wooden mount and hurried out to the yard to see Marie Cartwright striding towards him, pulling on her riding gloves.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cAnd it\u2019s not where am I going, but where are WE going. Get the men mounted up. I want every man available to ride towards town. Now, Adam was shot either before or after he got to town, whichever makes no difference except that he may have been injured somewhere for longer than we originally thought. Once we hit the left fork into town I want the men to start sweeping out and searching every bit of land there is \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\nHoss felt as though a great weight had replaced his heart. As he sat on the wagon seat and looked about him, at the vast open wild landscape, he felt as though the chances of finding his brother were as remote as finding the proverbial needle in the haystack. He wanted to shout and yell, to hear his own voice in angry protest at what had taken place. But what exactly had taken place? He looked at Joe,<\/p>\n
\n\u201cAdam? Can you hear me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\nThe ship swayed back and forth, and dipped into the waves. The breeze was getting fresher now, and men were on the rigging loosening the other canvases so that they filled with the wind and sent the ship scudding forwards across the waves.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cHas he said anything at all about who did it?\u201d Roy enquired of Joe as they stood in the big room, unsure of what to do next, waiting for something, anything, that would make the coming moments more endurable.<\/p>\n
\nChapter 27<\/p>\n
\nDavid Carter looked up and smiled as his daughter entered the office. She stood in the doorway with her hands clasped bemeaurely before her in her skirts. Her eyes were clear and untroubled. He thought she had never looked more lovely, nor more serene.<\/p>\n
\nThe door inched open and Joe stepped into the room, gave her a brief smile and raised his eyebrows,<\/p>\n
\nThe house was enveloped in both darkness and silence. No one slept but Adam, whose sleep was of the most unnatural kind. By his bedside Marie kept a constant vigil. In Hoss\u2019 room both he and Joe sat anxious and alert, speaking in whispers, and the things about which they spoke were mainly of irrelevancies.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cHey, Joe, I jest remembered ..\u201d
\n\u201cWhat?\u201d
\n\u201cThat letter to Adam.\u201d Hoss pulled it out of his pocket and looked at it, smoothed over the creases and handed it to his brother, \u201cShould we open it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\nRoy Coffee had just buckled on his gun belt when the door to his office swung open and Hoss strode in, followed by Little Joe. Having seen the look on their faces many times before, Roy pursed his lips – which made his moustache bristle – and raised his eyebrows.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cThank you very much, Joseph,\u201d Roy snapped, \u201cWhen it comes to taking down statements I shall personally see to it that your brother is given the time to make one. In fact, if he wishes, he can sit down at my desk right now and write it out for me to put with the others I\u2019m going to collect this morning. Is that acceptable to you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\nEvie counted the money again. It hardly seemed possible that anyone could possess so much money. Yet, here it was in front of her. Piles of the stuff. She wanted to throw it up in the air and let it fall all about her but didn\u2019t dare in case she couldn\u2019t find all of them again. Carefully she placed the bundles of notes in a hat box which she then tidied away in a very deep wardrobe. For good measure she placed another hat box on top, plus two shoe boxes (both empty).<\/p>\n
\n\u201cSo,\u201d Evie gave her two companions a wide eyed plaintive stare, and then blinked her lashes at them for good measure, \u201canyway, after they took Mother away, I just moped about the house and looked through a few things. I found a journal\u2026\u201d she paused and looked at them both, this time warily, wondering just how far she could go with this particular line of conversation, \u201cShe talked about the past, and how she felt about\u2026 things.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\u201cHey, Evie, this is quite a lot of money you\u2019ve got here,\u201d he said quietly, looking around hoping no one else had noticed, and stuffing it hurriedly back into her purse, \u201cDon\u2019t you think you should get it banked for safety?\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\u201cIs this an official visit, Sheriff?\u201d David asked, with a smile on his lips and a cold veil over his eyes.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cSo what are you going to do, Roy?\u201d Joe demanded, his eyes flashing as he watched Roy scribbling notes on a scrappy piece of paper with a stubby old pencil, \u201cShouldn\u2019t you be out there, looking for Chambers?\u201d<\/p>\n
\nEvie felt a shiver trickle down her spine as Mr Hinkley took her into the room, a small Chapel area where relatives and friends could share a few last precious moments with their loved ones. Sophia Templeton looked as though she had fallen asleep, happy to be free from the turmoil and tribulations of her worldly flesh. Her hair was soft and curling about her face, and in this last repose, she looked as though she were young once again.<\/p>\n
\nChapter 36
\nRoy Coffee walked towards the bank. Time to pay Mr Carter another visit. Roy didn\u2019t like surprises and the fact that Mr Harry Chambers had suddenly metamorphosed into someone called Tom Jefferson annoyed him immensely, especially as Mr Jefferson had taken himself off and disappeared without trace.<\/p>\n
\nShe ran towards the wardrobe and pulled open the door. The hatboxes were still there. She felt a wave of relief sweep over her and she put her hands to her chest to try and still the beat of her heart and to get her breathing under control.<\/p>\n
\nHad there been someone in the restaurant who had seen the money in her purse when she had dropped it? Did someone see it and think that she would have had much more in the house?<\/p>\n
\nShe licked her lips and turned around, her eyes flicking from corner to corner of the room. Was he still here?<\/p>\n
\nRoy looked around the neat and orderly house. It was in the better part of town, where those fortunate enough to have struck their millions from the gold and silver ore overlooked those who were still struggling to come up the ladder. The equivalent to San Francisco\u2019s so-called Nob\u2019s Hill. He had been surprised to discover that a mere Bank Manager had a property there, no matter how prestigious his bank.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cDon\u2019t say anymore.\u201d he said abruptly, and his eyes flashed in a way that forced her to step back, as though for an instant she saw a glimpse of the madness behind the mask.
\n\u201cI don\u2019t want to know why you suddenly stopped loving me. Or was that just pretence?\u201d<\/p>\n
\nChapter 41<\/p>\n
\nAdam inched his way along the landing. He had never realised how far away the stairs were before now. Why on earth had he chosen the room at the far end of the house? His hands felt clammy, and he had to hold the gun with both hands for it was too heavy for just the one. He stumbled, fell onto one knee and then didn\u2019t have the strength to get back onto his feet.<\/p>\n
\nDavid Carter shook his head. He looked from one to the other of them, and put a hand to his brow, as though he could not believe what had happened to him. In just a few hours, his world had imploded upon him. The woman he loved, hated him. The only money he had was that taken back from the daughter he had never really known but had destroyed nevertheless. He brought up his gun and aimed at Marie<\/p>\n
\nSomeone was gently prising her fingers from the guard of the epee, very gently, and saying something to her. She blinked, and found herself looking into Joe\u2019s face, her Joe, her own son,Joseph. She was sitting on the settee, and he was squatting in front of her, trying to get her to release the epee, while talking very gently to her. There were tears in his eyes and she could see his eyelashes were spiked by them, and his lips were trembling as he spoke.<\/p>\n
\nPaul Martin stood by the bedside of his patient and observed him thoughtfully. He had his hands clasped behind his back and when the door opened he did not look around, he knew who would be coming into the room. He knew he didn\u2019t have the best of news to tell them.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cI wish more fathers were made in that same mould. Adam -\u201d he paused as though he had changed his mind about what he was going to say about Adam, and shook his head and sighed.<\/p>\n
\n\u2026\u2026\u2026.
\nIt was dark in the room. The only light was from a small lamp on a table near the bed. Not too bold a light as to disturb the sleeper, but sufficient for the watcher to note any changes that may have occurred. The window was open to allow some cool air to sift through the heat, and the soft lace curtains drifted too and fro like dancing wraiths over the rug.<\/p>\n
\n\u2018Twas sad as sad could be;
\nAnd we did speak only to break
\nThe silence of the sea.<\/p>\n
\nThe bloody sun, at noon,
\nRight up above the mast did stand,
\nNo bigger than the Moon,<\/p>\n
\nWe stuck, nor breath nor motion;
\nAs idle as a painted ship
\nUpon a painted ocean\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\u201cMa?\u201d<\/p>\n
\nA week later he awoke to footsteps running along the landing, and whispers on the stairs. He pulled open the door to find his father, fully dressed, holding a lamp in his hand and talking urgently to Hop Sing. Then Hop Sing had hurried away, disappearing into the shadows.<\/p>\n
\nThe tears trickled down his cheeks now, and Marie leaned forward to wipe them away, gently with a cold cloth.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cToo quickly for God to do anything?\u201d Adam\u2019s brow knitted together in confusion.
\n\u201cAdam, sometimes we pray for things, and we want the answers the way we want them to be, but sometimes, the answer is something we don\u2019t want. I can\u2019t explain it. Perhaps one day, when you\u2019re old enough, you\u2019ll be able to explain it to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\u201cMistah Adam, you have a visitor.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nJoe walked out the saloon and wrinkled his face in annoyance at the rain as it splattered against his face. It was going to be a long and irritating ride home, even though he had a pretty face to think upon. When Hoss asked why he had such a stupid smile on his face when it was pouring with rain, he just shrugged and shook his head. There was little point in saying anything just yet.<\/p>\n
\nThe tension seemed to increase during the day. They had checked over the maps, measured distances,assumed locations but were no nearer to finding the ideal area where they would assume Clay to have gone. Hoss would reckon on one town, and Adam would put forward arguments as to why it couldn\u2019t or wouldn\u2019t be there. Joe would speculate on towns here, there and everywhere, but Adam would object to them all. It ended in Joe losing his temper and accusing Adam of not really wanting them to find Clay.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cLook, I think we have discussed this subject long enough.\u201d she said quietly, \u201cLet\u2019s just put everything away and go and eat. Hop Sing\u2019s cooked something special from the smell of things.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nThe meal was eaten in sullen discomfort despite Marie\u2019s attempts to lighten the mood. Joe had a mercurial temper, it could come down as quickly as it went up. But this evening he brooded over everything that had been said and felt a tightness in his chest that made eating difficult.<\/p>\n
\nJoe was cleaning his pistol, and doing the job slowly. His brow was creased as though in deep thought, and Marie knew that her boy was troubled, wishing he could make everything right with Hoss and Adam, but at the same time wishing that they would make the first move. His insecurities were well known to the mother who loved him, and she wished that she could take him in her arms and \u2018kiss it all better\u2019 as she could have done not so many years ago.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cAdam. Adam. Wake up.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nAdam rode into Virginia City just as the town was opening up. Stores fronts were getting their goods displayed on the sidewalks to entice the customer to enter the premises for further bargains. Children were hurrying to school and the sound of the bell clamoured loudly above the general din and noise of a busy township.<\/p>\n
\nWANTED
\nFOR
\nMURDER<\/p>\n
\n\u201cYou\u2019re very quiet this evening, Ma?\u201d Joe said as they were driving towards the Nicholls place that evening, \u201cAre you feeling all right?\u201d<\/p>\n
\nHe played what could only be referred to as a blinder. Despite a gasp from one or two there, no one argued about his being the man to have won. He smiled, nodded, raked in the money.<\/p>\n
\nThe light was shining from the window of the big room at the Ponderosa. Clay walked towards it wondering if he had left the lamps alight in the room, and thought that it must have been Hank, trying to make things look right should anyone come riding home early. He smiled to himself, and then noticed the horse hitched to the rail. He was in such a befuddled state that he had barely managed to stay in the saddle most of the journey home. Noticing the horse in the shadows of the night was more by accident than design, and he had a sinking foreboding that either Adam or Hoss had returned home.<\/p>\n
\nChapter 115<\/p>\n
\nClay looked up at him and smiled, a rather crooked smile, and then shook his head,<\/p>\n
\nBy the time the coffee was brewed and he had cooked some scrambled eggs and ham Clay had washed and dressed. He strolled into the kitchen and looked around him, before perching on the corner of the old oak table upon which Hop Sing created so many culinary delights, and poured himself some coffee.<\/p>\n
\nChapter 118
\nTwo days passed and Penelope Scott suddenly realised that in her circle of friends she had no one to whom she could talk about her discovery. She had never felt so isolated and lonely in all her life. Had she realised her husband was employed in some illegal way? She could truthfully say, hand on heart, that she had no idea. So plausible had been the reasons for his absences, so warm were the letters he sent to her from strange places, and so kind were all their friends (some of whom were going to be relieved not to have dealings with the Scotts ever again) that she had existed in a bubble of complacent content.<\/p>\n
\nPenelope Scott closed her eyes and then fainted, falling with a thud on the expensive Aubussion rug her husband had purchased the preceeding year. Her maid found her and with the aid of another servant managed to get her to her bed.<\/p>\n
\nChapter 119
\n\u201cHe\u2019s getting to be quite a regular visitor around here, ain\u2019t he?\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\u201cWell, looks like a hive of industry here,\u201d Adam murmured as he dismounted and led Sport to his stall. \u201cI see we have company for supper again?\u201d and he jerked his head in the direction of Matt\u2019s horse.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cShucks, ain\u2019t that too bad.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\u201cHow will this affect Clay with regard to the situation in Texas?\u201d she asked, looking at Adam intensely, \u201cThat\u2019s what the posters were all about, don\u2019t you remember?\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\u201cI was – I was kinda thinking of going back with him. Or maybe, going to Mexico.\u201d the youth blurted out.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cYou look like you lost a dollar and found a nickel,\u201d Clay observed, as he found his brother leaning against the corral fence, looking decidedly glum.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cAlright, you can let me go, I swear I ain\u2019t gonna cause no trouble.\u201d Murphy yelled, suddenly still and despite breathing heavily, looking defeated.<\/p>\n
\nChapter 122
\nClay counted out his winnings and winked at Joe who sat in the chair opposite his brother. They were home now, and in Clay\u2019s bedroom. It was late, too late for the others, who had long since gone to bed. Hop Sing had left supper for them on the stove, and coffee was boiling gently on the hob. Neither man ate anything, but were grateful for the coffee. Clay rolled the dollar notes into bundles of 100\u2019s, and set them aside with a pile of other similar bundles. Joe nearly swallowed his tonsils when he saw just how many bundles there were neatly nestling in among Clay\u2019s socks. The loose coins he began to count out as carefully as Midas would have done, and Joe found himself humming (not out loud obviously)<\/p>\n
\n\u201cNow why should I do that?\u201d she replied softly, \u201cHaven\u2019t I enough men in the house to keep me feeling safe and protected.\u201d and her eyes looked directly into his, noticed the way mothers and women in love do, how his own eyes betrayed him, and she sighed, \u201cOr are you and Clay still considering travelling to Mexico?\u201d<\/p>\n
\nAdam looked up from reading a letter, and smiled as Joe walked into the house. His smile was equally welcoming to Clay who followed immediately behind Joe. Both of the younger men put their hats onto the bureau, and began to unbuckle their gunbelts. Hoss glanced up, and nodded,<\/p>\n
\n\u201cWas this your idea?\u201d he asked in a thick voice, and his dark eyes broodingly darker.<\/p>\n
\nChapter 125
\n\u201cHoss?\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\u201cAdam, you do understand why I want to go, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\u201cA good day for travelling,\u201d Adam said with a smile and looking directly into Clay\u2019s face, so that Clay noticed that there was no smile in the dark eyes.<\/p>\n
\nChapter 128<\/p>\n
\n\u201cGoodbye then, Hoss, Adam.\u201d Clay said rather over loudly, and he extended his hand, which the two Cartwrights shook while staring into his eyes, both with the same thought running through their minds. \u201cCome on, Joe. It\u2019s time we moved on.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nHop Sing remembered the day Joe was born. The joy and excitement. Laughter. He would never forget the day Joe rode away from his home, his mother, his brothers. There was no laughter, only tears.
\nChapter 129<\/p>\n
\n\u201cAnything from Joe?\u201d Marie asked hopefully when they stepped back into the house, and her face fell when they shook their heads.<\/p>\n
\nIt had been a strange week, just riding along together. They had stopped the night over in Placerville, and Clay had got into a card game there which had gone on into the small hours. Then the next afternoon they had continued on their journey.<\/p>\n
\nJoe returned to the saloon two hours later and elbowed his way through the throng to where the players were seated at a round table. It was a heavy game of blackjack. In the centre of the table was a substantial sum of money. The intense expressions on the faces of the men seated around the table was indicative of the state of play. Clay was one of them. Even Joe, coming in at this late stage of play, could see that the professional gambler and Clay were the only real contenders in the game. It was going to be a long hard fight to gain the prize, of that there was no doubt in anyone\u2019s mind.
\nHe pushed his way closer to Clay. The excitement in the room was electrifying. People were still making bets on who was going to win. Joe thought that there was possibly more money being made on the side bets than there was in the pot on the table.<\/p>\n
\nmost people aren\u2019t honest.\u201d he unbuttoned his coat and threw it over the bed, followed by
\nhis hat and saddlebags. \u201cYou know the scripture To do Unto Others as you would have
\nThem do Unto You? Well, that\u2019s how I live my life, little brother, and if I see others cheating on me, then they deserve the same back.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nMarie was vaguely aware of strong arms lifting her upwards, and a voice murmuring words that were both soothing and comforting. She felt very weak, lethargic, and her head lolled into his chest. She could sense the movement of his breathing as his chest heaved with the effort of walking through the snow with her in his arms.<\/p>\n
\nJessie Miller banked up the fire and set the coffee pot on the hearth before bidding the doctor good night and telling him, for the umpteenth time, that she would be listening out should he need her, he only had to call. He assured her that he would do so, and thanked her for all the help she had provided.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cThey weren\u2019t at home. I wanted some fresh air.\u201d she frowned and drank more of the coffee, and then she sighed, \u201cTo tell you the truth, Paul, I wanted to visit Ben\u2019s grave. I just wanted to feel – oh, I don\u2019t know, how can a woman explain such feelings to a man?\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\u201cAdam, I\u2019m so danged cold it\u2019s a wonder my heart ain\u2019t frozen and got stuck to my ribs!\u201d Hoss blew on his hands and then pulled on his mittens quickly. Then he rubbed his face in an effort to get some life back into the facial muscles.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cWe should have had enough sense to stay at home and wait this storm out.\u201d Hos grumbled as he began to make a pyramid out of some sticks.<\/p>\n
\nJoe did not fulfil his role as an adoring little brother in Clay\u2019s eyes. He was more a constant feature, a reminder of something he had never had in his life.<\/p>\n
\nSeveral hours passed during which Zedekiah nursed his bottle of whisky and glowered constantly towards the door. Each time the batwings were flung open he would start alert, and peer eagerly at the entrants to the saloon.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cVirginia City way. I had me a homestead close to the borders of the Ponderosa. You wouldn\u2019t have heard of my place, but I can guarantee you that you\u2019ve heard of the Ponderosa.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nHe didn\u2019t realise it was his body falling and landing on the sawdust strewn floor.
\nHe\u2019s bleeding badly. Get a doctor.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nAn intense weariness seemed to caress and embrace the young man as he was gently lifted into the arms of Cameron, the big red head who had once known his father.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cYou!\u201d Zoe spat and her kohl eye makeup ran black down her cheeks in tears. \u201cYou\u2019d be late for your own funeral. What good are you as a sheriff anyway?\u201d<\/p>\n
\nChapter 138
\nThe pain in his shoulder and down his arm penetrated Joe\u2019s consciousness so that he groaned aloud and writhed in the bed. Clay leaned towards him, anxious now as he saw the pain his little brother was in, and he looked at Wilcox,<\/p>\n
\nHe jumped nervously when the door opened, and relaxed when Zoe slipped into the room<\/p>\n
\nJoe jerked awake. He was shivering now and had to look around him to make sure that the dream was actually over. He looked at the person sitting by his side, and relaxed when Zoe leaned forward and smiled gently down at him,<\/p>\n
\nThe silence in the room seemed to swell all around Clay. He sheathed his gun back into its holster and then turned to look down at Joe.<\/p>\n
\nDespite the lateness of the hour, Wilcox was still awake when there came a thumping on the door. Taking the lamp from the desk to light his way along the corridor he was not surprised to find, upon opening the door, a woman flanked by two men.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cNo,\u201d Adam agreed, \u201cI don\u2019t think she will, but we\u2019ll let him tell us his side of the story before we give him one.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nZoe, who due to her earlier relationship with Clay, had now adopted Joe, was more than pleased to meet Marie, and Joe\u2019s other brothers. She had the discernment not to mention anything about her knowing Clay, but instead directed Marie to the best hotel in the town so that she could bath and have a change of clothes.<\/p>\n
\nHoss soon managed to locate the roan\u2019s marks from all those who had left town. He had seen the horse\u2019s prints often enough in the yard to be able to pick out the hoof print with the crack in it. He had checked the shoes on both horses before they had left the Ponderosa, had noticed the crack and for some reason forgotten all about it. Not something he would customarily have done, but for this one time, his negligence had provided them with a quick identification of the horse and rider for whom they were searching .<\/p>\n
\n\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n
\nAdam and Hoss galloped into view at this point. Both men pulled up their horses in horror at the sight of the two men in full view of them on the track. Zedekiah was sprawled out on his back, one arm raised as though pleading for his life, while Clay knelt beside him, a wicked looking knife in one hand, while the other had Zedekiah pinned down.<\/p>\n
\nHoss shook his head, tired of wasting words, he turned to follow Adam who was walking towards his horse, and then, without breaking his step, he swung his fist and caught Clay a sharp jab under the jaw that sent the young man reeling backwards. Hoss continued on to his horse, his face contorted with anger, which was such a rare occurrence that Adam didn\u2019t say a word although his brothers action had surprised him as much as it had Clay.<\/p>\n
\nMarie Cartwright stood up slowly as she saw the two young men approaching her. The pleasure she felt when she saw them both was tinged with anxiety, and that anxiety was reinforced by sorrow when she realised that it was, indeed, only two young men, the third had not returned.<\/p>\n
\nChapter 154<\/p>\n
\nShe dismounted and it was Hoss who took the reins of her horse to lead it into the stable. It was Joe who walked by her side up to the porch, across the planking, to the door and pushed it open.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cI\u2019m glad to be home too,\u201d Hoss cried, rubbing his hands with glee and turning towards the kitchen, \u201cHey, Hop Sing, anything in there for a growing man?\u201d<\/p>\n